Mexican Crime Journalist Found Dead
A Mexican journalist who wrote about crime in the violent Gulf Coast state of Veracruz was found beheaded on Wednesday, local media reported, the latest murder of a reporter in one of the world’s most dangerous nations for journalists.
The body of Julio Valdivia, 44, who specialized in the “nota roja” journalism that exposes crime and violence in Mexico, was found in Tezonapa, about 100 kilometres from the state capital of Veracruz.
A staff member at Valdivia’s Diario El Mundo local newspaper in Veracruz said initially it was suspected that Valdivia might have been run over by a train, but that was ruled out by the prosecutor’s office.
“Valdivia was found near the train tracks, beheaded and tortured,” said the newspaper staff member, who did not wish to be identified.
El Universal and several other local news outlets reported that Valdivia was beheaded. This is the fourth journalist death in Mexico this year.
In 2019, 25 journalists were killed in Mexico. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists that year, about half of all murders of journalists around the world occurred in Mexico.
Key Terms
Beheaded
Journalism
Expose
Prosecutor
Key Questions
Why is it so dangerous to be a journalist in Mexico?
How does this impact Mexico’s ability to have a “free press”?
What can be done to make journalism safer?