The organization also welcomes reinstatement of special committee to deal with attacks on media and journalists by Mexican Congress
Miami (November 20, 2009)–The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) today urged the Mexican government to take swift action to locate reporter María Esther Aguilar Cansimbe who went missing in Michoacán state 10 days ago.
Aguilar Cansimbe, a specialist in security and justice affairs, disappeared on the morning of Wednesday, November 11. Her whereabouts remain unknown. Shortly after leaving home she received a call; later attempts to contact her on her cell phone were unsuccessful.
IAPA President Alejandro Aguirre, on behalf of the 1,400 IAPA members, offered his support to her family and colleagues. He also welcomed as a positive move the reinstatement of a special federal congressional committee dedicated to the issues of crimes against freedom of expression and the violence faced by journalists.
“Cases such as that of María Esther and so many other journalists who have disappeared or been murdered justify bringing this committee back so work will continue on legislative actions such as making crimes against freedom of expression federal offenses and stiffening penalties in these cases…something we have been advocating for years now.”
Aguirre, managing editor of the Miami, Florida Spanish-language newspaper Diario Las Américas, commended the newly-installed federal Congress for its November 10th reinstatement of its Special Committee for Dealing with and Following Up Attacks Upon Journalists and News Media, which had been in operation since 2006 but was eliminated by the lower house when it took office last September.
Aguilar Cansimbe, with more than10 years’ experience working for newspapers in Michoacán, has most recently reported for El Diario de Zamora and worked as local correspondent for Cambio de Michoacán based in the state capital, Morelia.
After she had been missing over 72 hours her family reported her disappearance to authorities who asked for secrecy out of fear for revenge and the reporter's safety.
Executives of El Diario de Zamora and Cambio, contacted separately by the IAPA’s Rapid Response Unit in Mexico, stated they were unaware whether Aguilar Cansimbe had received any threats but did not rule out the possibility that her disappearance was linked to her work as a reporter. Michoacán has witnessed an increase in the number of kidnappings and murders of police officers, along with other crimes, in recent years.
Since 1991 a total of nine journalists have been murdered or gone missing in Michoacán. So far this year 10 journalists have been killed in Mexico – Bladimir Antuna García, Fabián Ramírez López, Norberto Miranda Madrid, Juan Daniel Martínez Gil, Ernesto Montañez Valdivia, Martín Javier Miranda Avilés, Eliseo Barrón Hernández, Carlos Ortega Melo Samper, Luis Daniel Méndez Hernández and Jean Paul Ibarra Ramírez.
