Violent crime: Journalist killed in Mexico

In Mexico, another journalist has been killed. Rafael Murúa, who had run a radio station in the north of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, had been murdered. This was written by Governor Carlos Mendoza in the short message service Twitter.

Last year, the organization reported nine journalist murders in Mexico. This made it the third most dangerous country for media representatives to Afghanistan and Syria. Since 2000, more than a hundred journalists have been killed in Mexico - most of them have remained unpunished.

Missing since sunday

Murúa told radio station Kashana about human rights, environmental protection and culture. According to the Reporters Without Borders of Mexico, Murúa has been included in a protection program for journalists and human rights activists.

The 34-year-old had previously received death threats according to local media. He was gone on Sunday. The body of Rafael Murúa was discovered with severe injuries to the chest on the edge of a country road, reported local media, citing the prosecutor.

El cobarde crimen de Rafael Murúa no quedará sin castigo. He instruido a la @PGJEBCS ha seguir to the las líneas de investigación para el esclarecimiento de este lamentable hecho.

"This cowardly crime will not go unpunished," said Governor Mendoza. It would follow all the instructions to clarify the facts. He expressed his solidarity to Murua's relatives and journalists in Baja California Sur.

Condeno el asesinato del periodista sudcaliforniano Rafael Murúa Manríquez. Mi solidaridad con su familia and el gremio periodístico sudcaliforniano.

Reinforced by the bloody drug war and political corruption, violent crime is very widespread in Mexico. Now the authorities of the country reported a record number of homicides. Accordingly, last year 33,341 people were forcibly killed. Already in 2017, a new sad record had been set with 28,866 homicides.

Non-functioning security apparatus

The murder rate in Mexico has been rising steadily since former head of state Felipe Calderón started a war in 2006 against the powerful drug cartels in the country. Experts like Raúl Benítez of the Autonomous National University of Mexico blame a non-functioning security apparatus. "The army has been paralyzed by numerous anti-drug interventions and the fear of being accused of human rights abuses," Benítez said.

The government of the new left-wing leader Andrés Manuel López Obrador therefore wants to found a National Guard to take over the duties of the civil police under the control of the army. However, this reform requires a constitutional amendment.