Gunmen dressed as police threatened journalists in Mexico with setting them on fire to deter reporting on a story. The threats come as the country draws international attention after nine journalists were already murdered in 2022.
The incident took place Tuesday when journalists with El Universal were meeting with environmental activists near Tecamac, Mexico State. The activists were denouncing a mineral mine necessary for the construction materials of a new airport.
When the journalists were documenting the area, gunmen in a pickup pulled up and began issuing threats, El Universal reported. The gunmen fired weapons into the air as they forced two female reporters and a photographer to delete their work. They were threatened with death if they returned.
The reporters claimed one of the gunmen wearing a vest with a state police patch assaulted an activist and then wielded a gas can while threatened to burn everyone alive. Eventually, the gunmen allowed the group to leave.
The threats against El Universal come as Mexico has recorded the murders of nine journalists this year. Press freedom groups label the country as the deadliest for news workers outside of active war zones.
Rather than acknowledge the crisis, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has taken a confrontational approach against international criticism, calling Western politicians “sheep, corrupt, and interventionist” in various statements.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ 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 Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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