Mexican Journalist Alejandro Martinez Noguez Assassinated Despite Police Protection
The journalist Alejandro Martinez Noguez was shot and killed on Sunday, August 4th in the state of Guanajuato, despite having police protection. Martinez Noguez, who covered police news, had been under protection since a previous attempted attack against him. He was shot by unknown assailants while traveling in a car with his bodyguards, as reported by the Celaya city security department. Martinez Noguez was returning from a journalistic assignment at the time of the attack.
Journalist in Danger
Local police sources indicated that Martinez Noguez’s bodyguards, who were local police officers, fended off the attack, but a bullet hit the journalist in the head while he was seated in the passenger seat. Balbina Flores, RSF representative in Mexico, described him as a journalist in danger with many years of experience and well-known in Celaya. Another woman in a separate vehicle was injured in the shootout.
State Protection Program
After being targeted in 2022, Martinez Noguez had been constantly protected by municipal police officers through a state program designed to safeguard threatened journalists. He managed a news page on Facebook with about 343,000 followers and his latest report was a video about a road accident. RSF criticized the Mexican government’s failure to address impunity, emphasizing the ongoing violence against journalists.
Dangerous Environment for Journalists in Mexico
Mexico is recognized as one of the world’s most perilous countries for journalists, with over 150 journalists killed since 1994 due to organized crime-related violence. In a recent incident, Federico Hans, a journalist in Sonora state, was shot near his home as he was getting into his vehicle. The situation highlights the grave risks faced by journalists in Mexico and the urgent need for greater protection and accountability.
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