Fifth journalist killed this year in Mexico
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In one of the deadliest countries for journalists, Heber Lopez Vazquez is the fifth to die.
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A man hangs images of murdered journalists during a demonstration against the murder of Anabel Flores, a journalist, outside Veracruz' governmental building in Mexico City, February 11, 2016. (Reuters)
Mexico is quickly growing a reputation of being a dangerous place for journalists and reporters.
On Thursday, the fifth journalist to be killed this year in Mexico was found shot dead, according to an official.
The journalist, Heber Lopez Vazquez, was shot in his car, according to state prosecutor Arturo Calvo on Milenio TV channel. He runs the news website Noticias Web in Oaxaca, south of the country.
Upon attempting to flee the crime scene, two suspects were arrested and their guns were recovered, according to Calvo, revealing that the party that ordered the murder remains unknown.
Read more: Mexico sues US-based gunmakers over flow of arms across border
Lopez would be the 5th journalist to be killed in 2022 according to an AFP tally that bases itself on data from Reporters Without Borders. It's still February.
Last year, at least 7 were murdered in Mexico.
On Wednesday, Mexican authorities had arrested 3 men over the murder of journalist Lourdes Maldonado, which took place in Tijuana. The event sparked an international uproar, with demands for the Mexican government to do more to protect journalists and media workers.
Maldonado's death came shortly after photographer Margarito Martinez was also shot dead in Tijuana.
In January, Roberto Toledo who worked in Michoacan and Jose Luis Gamboa in Veracruz were also murdered.
