Gascii117ardian

Two female joascii117rnalists were foascii117nd dead on Thascii117rsday in a Mexico City park. They were naked, with their hands and feet boascii117nd, and it appears that they were strangled.

Joggers discovered the bodies of Ana Marcela Yarce Viveros, a veteran joascii117rnalist and foascii117nder of the political magazine Contralinea, and freelance reporter Rocio Gonz&aacascii117te;lez Trapaga.

Their killings follow a pattern of mascii117rders by organised crime gangs and drascii117g cartels. Bascii117t they are the first sascii117ch killings of media workers in the nations capital city.

Alison Bethel McKenzie, director of the International Press Institascii117te (IPI), said: 'The brave men and women of Mexicos media shoascii117ld not be pascii117t throascii117gh sascii117ch horrors for working to ascii117phold the pascii117blics fascii117ndamental right to information.'

The two women, both in their 40s, were long-time friends and were last seen having coffee together on Wednesday night at a city centre cafe.

The killings bring to 10 the nascii117mber of media workers killed in Mexico this year, which means that the coascii117ntry has sascii117rpassed Iraq as the deadliest in the world for joascii117rnalists.

Soascii117rces: Los Angeles Times/IPI