Mexico: Mexican photojournalist Ismael Villagómez is murdered in Ciudad Juárez

Mexican photojournalist Ismael Villagómez died this Thursday in a shooting attack in Ciudad Juárez, a city that borders the United States, making him the fifth journalist killed for his professional work in Mexico so far this year.

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Police reports revealed that the murder occurred at around 01:50 local time (08:50 GMT), at the intersection of Sinaloa Street and Article 27 Street, in the Francisco Sarabia neighborhood.

Viillagómez TápiaKnown as ‘Tiguer’ by his union colleagues, he had been in the profession for over 20 years and currently worked as a photographer for El Heraldo de Juárez, part of the Mexican Editorial Organization (OEM) network.

Although authorities did not release his name, his colleagues said they recognized him when they located his body in his gray Hyundai vehicle, in the driver’s seat.

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Villagómez’s body had gunshot wounds to the left side, neck and head.

Villagómez’s journalistic coverage did not focus on any specific area, as it covered everything from police information to general events.

The Herald of Juárez He has publicly acknowledged that he is the photojournalist, although for now there have been no further statements from the media outlet or other journalists.

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If it is proven that he was killed for his work, Villagómez would be the fifth journalist murdered so far this year in Mexico in relation to his work, according to the count of the organization Article 19, which counts four other murders in this regard.

The most recent case was that of Jesús Gutiérrez Vergara, director of the media Notiface Prensa Digital, murdered at the end of September in San Luis Río Colorado, in the state of Sonora, also on the border with the United States.

Last week, Mexico hosted the annual General Assembly of the Inter-American Press Society (SIP), which stated in a report that “violence continued to be the main threat” to journalism in the country in 2023, in addition to denouncing the “hostile speech” of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador .

Mexico is considered the most violent country that is not at war by the press, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.