Violence against journalists: two responsible for the murder of José Manuel Guadalupe were sentenced

On the morning of March 17, at the morning conference and within the framework of the Monthly Security Report, the Undersecretary for Public Security and in charge of the head office of the Secretariat of Citizen Security and Protection (SSPC), Ricardo Mejía Berdeja, confirmed some progress in investigating the cases of some journalists killed in 2020, 2021 and so far in 2022.

He reported that a few days ago the two guilty parties were sentenced for the murder of José Manuel Guadalupe Castillo Alemán, who was a police journalist for the newspaper “Priority Máxima” who was killed with a knife while leaving his home located in the Campanario neighborhood of the Municipality of Cajeme, in 2020.

The Sonora Prosecutor's Office, in the trial held on February 17, 22 and 23 of this year, succeeded in obtaining a sentence of 31 years, three months in prison for homicide qualified with alevosia and advantage, by proving the participation of Rodolfo “N” and Desiderio Alejandro “N” as perpetrators.

In the case of journalist José Luis Gamboa Arenas, who was killed on January 10 in the port of Veracruz, he said that the investigations by the Veracruz Public Prosecutor's Office and that procedures will be accelerated to define criminal responsibilities and obtain court orders. At the moment, he said, there are no attentions, but it is hoped that the next few days will be successfully reported on the case.

As for the journalist Margarito Martínez, who was executed on January 17, 2022 for a gun shell in Tijuana, Baja California, there are 10 people belonging to a criminal organization, detained through intelligence work coordinated by the Baja California Prosecutor's Office with the support of the Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA), the Secretariat of the Navy (SEMAR) and the National Intelligence Center, assured.

Of the 10 detainees, three have already been linked for the journalist's murder, some as intellectual authors and others as material authors.

The undersecretary also addressed the progress that has been made in the investigation concerning the journalist Lourdes Maldonado, who was murdered in her home on December 23 january. Three perpetrators are already linked to criminal proceedings for the murder: Eric “N”, William “N” and Kevin “N”. Similar to the case of Margarito Martínez, an interdisciplinary team was formed here whose results so far, he reported, are positive.

Journalist Heber Fernando López, was killed on February 10, 2022 at his home located in the municipality of Salina Cruz after being shot several times by a gun of fire. In this regard, it was reported that the two perpetrators, Ricardo “N” and Ricardo “N”, also linked to the trial, were arrested in an operation by the Oaxaca Public Prosecutor's Office and the Salina Cruz Municipal Police.

Regarding the events of which Juan Carlos Muñiz, reporter for “Witness Minero”, was killed on March 4, 2022 in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, author Emanuel de Jesús was arrested alias “El Piro”, which was linked to prosecution for another crime of aggravated kidnapping.

The most recent case corresponds to Armando Linares López, of the digital newspaper Monitor de Michoacán, who was killed at his home in Zitácuaro on March 15, 2022. Ricardo Mejía confirmed the opening of the investigation folder on the case.

The undersecretary also announced the attempted murder of a journalist in Quintana Roo. This is Nezahualcoyotl Cordero García, who on February 1, 2022, was attacked at his home by two armed men who tried to execute him. He was linked to Fredy “A” trial with attempted murder. Cordero is wanted to stick to the protective mechanisms so as not to put himself at risk anymore, the official concluded.

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