Authorities in Mexico are investigating the murder of a journalist whose body was found with his hands tied and with tape over his eyes in the southern state of Chiapas. The killing comes as international press freedom organizations continue to label Mexico as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for news workers.
The Chiapas Attorney General’s Office confirmed the murder of Victor Alfonso Morales Culebro, who ran the online news site Realidades. Mexico’s El Universal revealed that when authorities recovered Morales’ body, he had his hands tied and tape wrapped around his head.
Morales Culebro was the son of Mario Culebro Velasco, the former Chiapas Secretary of State. A motive for the killing has not been revealed by authorities.
The murder comes amid a dramatic rise in violence in Chiapas as rival drug cartels fight for control of lucrative drug and human smuggling routes into Mexico. This new turf war sparked fear among locals, particularly people who live in rural communities, as they have become victims of various crimes at the hands of drug cartels.
Morales’ killing comes as several international organizations, such as Amnesty International and the Committee to Protect Journalists, continue to label Mexico as one of the most dangerous places for news workers. As Breitbart Texas reported in March, both organizations published a joint report about how Mexico had failed to protect journalists — including those under government protection.
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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