Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador pushed again Wednesday at U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who voiced concern Tuesday about current killings of journalists in Mexico and known as for "larger accountability."
Lopez Obrador mentioned at a information convention that Blinken was misinformed and what he mentioned was "not true," Reuters reported. "In fact, it is very unlucky that there are murders of journalists.…In all circumstances, we're doing one thing about it, there isn't a impunity, these will not be state crimes," Lopez Obrador mentioned.
5 journalists have been murdered in Mexico within the lower than two months which have handed for the reason that starting of the yr, Al Jazeera reported. The latest was Heber Lopez, the director of the Mexican on-line information web site Noticias Net, who was fatally shot in his workplace in Salina Cruz, which is within the southern state of Oaxaca.
His homicide made the primary six weeks of 2022 "the deadliest for the Mexican press in over a decade," Jan-Albert Hootsen, the Mexico consultant for the Committee to Shield Journalists, wrote on Twitter. "5 journalists have been murdered, two survived an assault, numerous others reported loss of life threats," he tweeted.
Hootsen additionally mentioned in an announcement that, with Lopez's loss of life, "Mexico continues an unprecedented and stunning string of lethal assaults towards journalists."
"These killings will solely cease with real, decisive actions by Mexican authorities, who should decide whether or not Lopez was killed due to his work and convey all these concerned to justice," Hootsen added.
The spate of killings has spurred U.S. lawmakers and leaders to induce Mexico to bolster its protections for journalists, Reuters reported. Blinken tweeted Tuesday that the "excessive variety of journalists killed in Mexico this yr and the continued threats they face are regarding."
"I be part of these calling for larger accountability and protections for Mexican journalists. My coronary heart goes out to the family members of those that gave their lives for the reality," Blinken's tweet learn.
Lopez Obrador refuted that message.
"He's misinformed as a result of in any other case he could be appearing in unhealthy religion," he mentioned.
Between 2000 and 2021, roughly 145 journalists have been killed in Mexico, in line with the human rights group Article 19. That quantity makes it one of many deadliest nations on the planet for individuals within the occupation, Reuters reported.
In an announcement despatched to Newsweek, a State Division spokesperson reiterated Blinken's Twitter message.
"Because the Secretary famous in his tweet, 'We be part of with all of these calling for larger accountability and protections for journalists.' A free and unbiased media is important to any functioning democracy. We search to accomplice with all governments, together with the federal government of Mexico, to advertise media freedom and shield journalists' potential to do their jobs with out concern of violence, threats to their lives or security, or unjust detention," the spokesperson mentioned. "Investigating these assaults on unbiased media and holding the perpetrators accountable are of paramount significance."
"We assist Mexican authorities' actions to face towards threats and aggression towards journalists and agree with the Mexican authorities's said precedence to scale back violence towards journalists," the spokesperson added.
Replace 02/23/22, 5:05 p.m. ET: This story has been up to date with extra info and background.
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