Mexico’s president calls for more protection of journalists
MEXICO CITY — Shouts of “justice” echoed from the press corps Wednesday moments after Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto called for a moment of silence for journalists who have been murdered at a frightening pace.
The president’s hastily called meeting with his security cabinet and the country’s governors was meant to show a united response to the slaying of reporters from one corner of Mexico to the other so far this year. On Monday, Javier Valdez in Culiacan, Sinaloa, became the sixth journalist slain in less than three months in six different states.
“Violence can’t be part of daily life,” Pena Nieto said. “Each crime against a journalist is a strike against freedom of expression and the press and the citizenry.”
The gathering was titled “actions for freedom of expression and protection of journalists and defenders,” but as is customary, Pena Nieto did not take questions.