Press Freedom
CPJ Updates
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Reporter Without Borders
Mexico June 27, 2005
H.E. Vicente Quesada Fox
President
Residencia Official de los Pinos
Col. San Miguel Chapultepec
11850 Mexico , DF
Mexico
Fax: (011.52.5) 515-5729
Your Excellency:
The Overseas Press Club of America (OPC) writes again to thank you for two decisive steps taken to protect Mexican journalists who have come under increasing pressure, not excluding murder and death threats .
We read with pleasure your decision on Friday to open a federally staffed hotline for journalists who receive threats or feel in any way in danger. The hotline quickly follows your decision to appoint a special prosecutor for crimes and threats of crimes against journalists.
You will recall that we wrote on 20 June to emphasize our concerns about the killing in April of radio reporter, Guadalupe Garcia Escamilla , in the border city of Nuevo Laredo , and Raul Gibb Guerrero, director of the newspaper, La Opinion, in Veracruz . Another journalist, Alfredo Jimenez Mota of El Imparcial in western Hermosillo , disappeared in the same month after several investigative stories on drug trafficking. According to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, at least 16 Mexican journalists have been killed or vanished since the year 2000.
We applaud your decision to take strong action and note that your public position sends a strong message to those who would harm, kill or intimidate journalists.
We would appreciate any comment from your offices — and any news you may have on the disappeared journalist.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Respectfully yours,
Robert E. Sullivan
Larry Martz
Freedom of the Press Committee
cc:
Carlos de Icaza
Ambassador of Mexico to the U.S.A.
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington , DC 20006
Fax: (202) 728-1698
Ambassador Enrique Beriuga
Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of Mexico to the United Nations
2 United Nations Plaza, 28th floor
New York , NY 10017
Fax: (212) 688-8862
Antonio O. Garza, Jr.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
Embassy of the United States of America
P.O. Box 9000
Brownsville , TX 78520
Fax: (011.52.55) 5080-2005
Patricia Mercado Sanchez
Editor
El Economista
Mexico DF
pmercado@economista.com.mx
Lazaro Rios
General Editor
LaReforma
Mexico , DF
cartas@reforma.com