Another journalist has tragically lost their life, amidst the escalating drug war in Mexico, adding to the growing number of reporters who have been targeted, according to authorities and a press freedom organization.
Nelson Matus was fatally shot on the outskirts of Acapulco in southwestern Mexico, as confirmed by officials and Article 19. Matus served as the director of a local news organization called Lo Real de Guerrero, which extensively covered the escalating violence in Guerrero, a Mexican state.
This is not the first attempt on Matus’ life, as he had survived an assassination plot back in 2019, as reported by Article 19. Local authorities are currently investigating this latest killing.
The recent death of Matus comes only a week after the brutal murder of another journalist in western Mexico, highlighting what the Committee to Protect Journalists refers to as “the crisis of deadly violence and impunity” that continues to plague the Mexican press.
This tragic incident underscores the alarming surge in attacks against journalists in Mexico and the devastating toll it has taken on local newsrooms, which frequently report on the violence from a closer perspective. Matus’ news organization is no exception.
Once known primarily for its beach resorts, Acapulco has unfortunately become a center for narco violence in recent years. On the same day Matus was killed, his news organization published an article about authorities discovering a deceased individual in a bag near a tourist beach in the city.
In the past five years alone, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented the killings of at least 52 journalists in Mexico. Last year, Mexico ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, second only to Ukraine.
On Saturday, Matus’ news organization expressed their grief on social media, extending their condolences to his family and joining others in prayer for his eternal rest.
