Four journalists in Durango were kidnapped this past Monday in the state of Durango. The National Commission on Human Rights (La Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos – CNDH) demanded that local authorities take the necessary measures to find them.
The victims include a reporter from Multimedios, two videographers from Televisa Gómez Palacio, and a reporter from the newspaper El Vespertino. The first three were taken in the afternoon while the fourth was taken late in the evening. There are unconfirmed reports that a fifth journalist was kidnapped hours later.
Local media is reporting that the journalists could be freed if other local media outlets presented videos in which agents of the Federal Police confessed to working for the drug cartel Los Zetas.
According to data from the CNDH, there have been 30 attacks against journalists this year and 351 since 2006. Since 2000 there have been 64 homicides relating to journalists.
Sources:
La Jornada. “Reporta CNDH desaparición de 4 periodistas en Durango.” La Jornada. 27 July, 2010.
Informador. “Levantan a cuatro periodistas en Gómez Palacio, Durango.” Informador. 27 July, 2010.
Thank you for covering this.
The reasons for the current crisis in Mexico, are many and complex.
The numbers of reporters kidnapped, assaulted, and killed in Mexico has risen steadily in the past years, since well before the murder of Bradley Will in Oaxaca in 2006.
The official statistics, of course, do not report every incident, and reflect a deteriorating situation in which both the free press and other institutions of civil society are increasingly threatened.
In the past years, there have been many murders and assassinations, including those of mayors, policemen, judges, businessmen and others who failed to yield to corruption. A continued situation of intimidation, threatened or collapsing civil, social and economic institutions prevails and expands along with violence.
Just over two months ago, the council of mayors declared that close to half the territory of Mexico had fallen out of their and Federal Control.
I am not sure it is appropriate for this forum, so please feel free to delete them, but I am going to to link to my translations of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)’s ten-point plan for Mexico, which outlines both a different perspective on what is occurring and why, and a different plan of action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2GqK_vGEuY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MHHh0piutc
Mexico continues to appoach its most difficult hours. We pray your goodwill, and the support of all who have an interest in Mexico.