Three people were arrested in the investigation into the homicide of a photojournalist found dead Thursday in northern Mexico, prosecutors said Friday. Two of the three suspects were in possession of the cell phones of Ismael Villagomez, murdered in Ciudad Juarez, on the border with the United States, added the prosecutor’s office in the state of Chihuahua (north).
Local newspaper contributor Herald of Juarez, Ismael Villagomez Tapia was the victim of “a shot that entered his eye,” regional prosecutor Carlos Manuel Salas told the press on Thursday.
Before him, five journalists had been killed in Mexico since the start of the year, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF). More than 150 journalists have been murdered in the country since 2000, and 28 are missing. The victim’s body was found in a vehicle he was using as a registered driver of an online on-demand chauffeur service.
Warnings
“We’re not ruling anything out. A journalist is a journalist 24 hours a day, regardless of whether he or she is engaged in any other activity,” Salas said. The highest number of journalists killed (31) since 2000 has been recorded in the state of Veracruz (southeast).
“Collusion between the authorities and organized crime represents a serious threat to the safety of journalists,” assures RSF.
“Professionals who cover sensitive topics related to politics or crime, especially at the local level, receive warnings or threats, or are not simply murdered.” Since 2010, Mexico has had a prosecutor’s office for crimes against journalists.
During his daily press conferences, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador regularly criticizes the press, especially traditional media and some star journalists.