5th Mexican Journalist Killed in 2022

Gunmen in Mexico shot and killed a journalist in the southern state of Oaxaca, marking the  fifth of its kind for the country in 2022.

The murder took place in Salina Cruz, where gunmen killed Heber Lopez Vasquez, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported.

In a televised statement from Oaxaca Attorney General Arturo Peimbert, two gunmen were arrested as they tried to flee the scene. The planners of the murder have not been identified.

Lopez’s murder drew outrage from journalists throughout Mexico and international press freedom organizations.

Several international NGOs label Mexico as the most dangerous in the world due to the impunity with which journalists are killed.

On January 31, gunmen shot and killed 59-year-old Roberto Toledo, in Zitacuaro, Michoacan. He was a journalist with Monitor Michoacan.

On January 23, gunmen shot and killed Lourdes Maldonado outside her home in Tijuana, Baja California. She previously asked President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for physical protection.

On January 17, a man shot and killed renowned international photojournalist Margarito Martinez at his home in Tijuana.

On January 10, unknown individuals stabbed Jose Luis Gamboa in Veracruz. He was the head of the online publication Inforegio.