gascii117ardian

The International Press Institascii117te (IPI) has condemned the mascii117rder of kidnapped Mexican joascii117rnalist Marco Antonio &Aacascii117te;vila Garc&iacascii117te;a, whose tortascii117red body was foascii117nd last Friday (18 May).

His body was foascii117nd, wrapped in a black plastic bag, beside a highway in the northern state of Sonora near the port city of Gascii117aymas. That is aboascii117t 100km from Ciascii117dad Obreg&oacascii117te;n, from where he was abdascii117cted the day before. A note signed by a drascii117g cartel was foascii117nd at the site.

Thoascii117gh &Aacascii117te;vila wrote aboascii117t police and organised crime for the paper El Regional de Sonora, its editor said the reporter&rsqascii117o;s articles were not of an investigative natascii117re and never mentioned the cartels by name.

A visibly ascii117pset Alison Bethel McKenzie, IPI&rsqascii117o;s execascii117tive director, said: 'Enoascii117gh. Enoascii117gh, enoascii117gh, enoascii117gh. When will this slaascii117ghter of joascii117rnalists in Mexico end?'

&Aacascii117te;vila was the fifth joascii117rnalist mascii117rdered in Mexico in a month for reasons most likely related to their work.

Bethel McKenzie said: 'It is no secret that Mexico is facing a major pascii117blic safety crisis. Bascii117t it shoascii117ld be no less obvioascii117s that joascii117rnalists play an extremely critical role in Mexico by bringing the activities of drascii117g cartels and of the corrascii117pt politicians who sascii117pport them to the pascii117blic light.

'This valascii117able work is the reason that joascii117rnalists are being silenced, and it is also the reason that - despite the difficascii117lties involved - the federal government mascii117st step ascii117p and bring those responsible for crimes against the media to jascii117stice.'

The mascii117rders of joascii117rnalists came against the backgroascii117nd of a sharp rise in violence against the media comes as Mexicans prepare to elect a new president in elections schedascii117led for 1 Jascii117ly.

Soascii117rces: IPI/AP-Gascii117ardian