Central Mexican authorities are investigating the murder of another journalist after finding his tortured body in the trunk of a car. The case marks the eighth of its kind in 2019 and the tenth since President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in December 2018.
On Tuesday, authorities in the central Mexican state of Morelos found the body of Rogelio Barragan, 47, a journalist with online outlet Guerrero Al Instante. The victim was bound and tortured before being placed in the trunk of a Volkswagen Jetta, Revista Proceso reported. Barragan’s mother identified the body, Animal Politico reported. The state is a short drive to Mexico City.
Soon after the murder, Guerrero Al Instante posted a Facebook message denouncing the murder and asking for justice.
Barragan’s murder makes eight for Mexico in 2019 amid countless attacks and threats against news outlets. Most cases remain unsolved.
Murdered Mexican Journalists in 2019
Norma Sarabia Garduza –a journalist for Tabasco Hoy, died after a team of masked gunmen ambushed her outside her home on June 12. She was a crime and police reporter for more than 15 years. Sarabia received various death threats in the past from corrupt law enforcement.
Francisco Romero – a journalist for Ocurrio Aqui and Playa News, was beaten to death outside a bar in Playa Del Carmen on May 16. Prior to his murder, Romero received numerous death threats and requested government protection.
Rafael Urua Manriquez — The general director of Radio Kashana, a community station based in Santa Rosalia, Baja California, which reported on human rights, gender issues, alternative lifestyles, reproductive health, and ecology. He was murdered on January 21.
Jesus Eugenio Ramos Rodriguez—Longtime journalist and host of the radio show “Nuestra Region Hoy” in Emiliano Zapata, Tabasco. Ramos was murdered by a lone gunman while eating breakfast on February 10. His case remains unsolved.
Reynaldo Lopez – A radio journalist from Hermosillo, Sonora. Lopez was in a vehicle with a colleague when a team of gunmen ambushed and fired multiple times on February 16.
Santiago Barroso Alfaro—A print and radio journalist from the border state of Sonora. Barroso was gunned down while opening the door to his home in San Luis Rio Colorado on March 15.
Omar Ivan Camacho – A radio journalist covering local sports and also managed a related website. He was thrown off an overpass after reporting on a baseball game in Sinaloa on March 25.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Border / Cartel Chronicles. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Border / Cartel Chronicles. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.