Miami (July 17, 2023) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) condemned the murder of journalist Nelson Matus Peña in Mexico. The organization urged the Mexican government to investigate this new crime in-depth, stop unpunished violence against journalists, and "show its commitment to press freedom."
Nelson Matus Peña, the portal Lo Real de Guerrero director in Acapulco, was murdered on Saturday, July 15. Around 3:00 in the afternoon, the journalist was in the parking lot of a store when unknown subjects shot him several times in the body and head, according to local media.
The chairman of the IAPA's Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, Carlos Jornet, lamented "this new crime in Mexico, where journalists in Acapulco and other areas of the country have been warning that they carry out their work with fear and great lack of protection."
Jornet, the editor of the newspaper La Voz del Interior of Argentina, said: "As long as the serious violations against Mexican journalists continue to go unpunished, the erroneous message will continue to be sent that these crimes do not go through the justice system, which gives free rein to the violent ones."
"We reiterate our demand that the government act firmly in the face of murders against journalists, administer justice, curb the violence they suffer, and demonstrate its commitment to press freedom," Jornet added.
Matus Peña had more than 15 years of experience in journalism and specialized in police news, violence, and insecurity. In 2019 he was the victim of an attack from which he escaped unharmed. Matus Peña worked at Alarma and Agora Guerrero, among other media.
His murder is in addition to that of Luis Martín Sánchez Íñiguez, correspondent of the newspaper La Jornada, in Tepic, Nayarit state, found dead on July 8. Also murdered this year on May 23 was Marco Aurelio Ramírez, a journalist and contributor to Periódico Central and Central Puebla, Puebla state.
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere; and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
