The Office in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-DH) and UN Women condemned this Wednesday the double murder of journalists Yesenia Mollinedo and Sheila Johana García, and asked "measures" to protect the press.
The agencies warned in a statement of the danger of women journalists in Mexico after Mollinedo’s deathdirector of the portal El Veraz, and García, a reporter for that medium, after be attacked with firearms in the municipality of Cosoloeacaque, in the eastern state of Veracruz.
"It is also an urgent reminder of the importance that the authorities adopt timely and effective measures to fulfill their obligation to guarantee protection and security of people who practice journalism"said Guillermo Fernández-Maldonado, UN-DH representative in Mexico.
The UN recalled that the murder of these two journalists occurred days after the murder of journalist Luis Enrique Ramírezin Culiacan, Sinaloa.
"The murder of three journalists in just one week generates consternation and deep concern, as it reflects the seriousness of the context of insecurity and violence in which journalists in Mexico must carry out their important work"Fernandez-Maldonado said.
Mexico is experiencing a year of unprecedented violence against the press with eight journalists murdered for their journalistic work, according to the organization Article 19.
If it is confirmed that these last three murders are related to their work as journaliststhe figure would rise to 11.
While the UN-DH has documented the murder of nine journalists and a media worker in the first five months of this yearwhich already exceeds all of 2021, when eight journalists and two media guards were reported killed, in addition to two other missing journalists.
"We reiterate the vital importance of putting an end to the widespread impunity over the material and intellectual authors of the attacks against journalists, since the absence of identification and punishment of the criminals favors the reiteration of thethe violent attacks"Fernandez-Maldonado added.
On the other hand, Belén Sanz Luquez, representative of UN Women in Mexico, urged the authorities to include the gender perspective as a central element in the process of investigation, sanction and reparation, as well as in mechanisms for the protection of journalists.
“Although there have been significant advances in terms of regulatory frameworks to recognize and protect their rights, women journalists continue to suffer disproportionately from gender-based violence in the exercise of their work."declared the international official.