Two Mexican journalists were shot dead in the last 24 hours

Friends and family members mourn the death of Mauricio Cruz, a local journalist and head of an online news outlet who was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in Uruapan, Mexico, following Cruz’s funeral October 30, 2024 | Photo Credit: Reuters

Two Mexican journalists were shot dead in western states in less than 24 hours, according to officials, as the country faces a flare-up of violence in the region.

A Mexican journalist was shot and killed in the western state of Colima on Wednesday afternoon, October 30, 2024, the state prosecutor’s office said. Reuters.

Her name was Patricia Ramirez, also known by the pseudonym Paty Bunbury, and she was working as an entertainment reporter, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based rights group.

It was the second journalist shot to death in Mexico, which has been cited by press freedom groups as one of the deadliest countries for journalists, in less than 24 hours after the head of a Mexican online news organization was killed late Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. .

The killings were the first of a journalist under Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office earlier this month and vowed to combat violence and crime.

Mauricio Cruz was shot and killed in the violent western state of Michoacan in the city of Uruapan, according to the state prosecutor’s office. One person, whose identity the prosecutor did not disclose, was also injured in the fire.

Uruapan is known for brazen crimes such as beheadings resulting from fights between drug cartels or clashes with law enforcement.

Mr. Cruz’s news source, MinutoXMinuto MichoacanHe posted a tribute on his Facebook page, which included the journalist’s last live video, recorded minutes before his death.

As the country was rocked by a wave of violence, Sheinbaum followed the work of his predecessor and mentor, former president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who stated that his government would not wage a new war against drug cartels in Mexico.