Mexican journalist murdered in Taxco, Guerrero

Francisco Pacheco Beltrán journalist, was killed Monday April 25 when he left his home in Taxco de Alarcón, in the Southern state of Guerrero, as it was confirmed by two of the media companies in which he used to work.

Pacheco Beltran collaborated with two local newspapers: “El Sol de Acapulco” and “El Foro de Taxco”, in fact, he was one of “El Foro’s” founders. Both newspapers confirmed the death of the reporter and demanded the local authorities to clarify the incident and punish those guilty.

According to “El Sol de Acapulco”, the murder occurred around 06:30 am on Monday April 25, when Pacheco Beltrán was coming back home from leaving his daughter at the bus station, he was shot twice right in front of his house, according to witnesses, but the authorities have not provided further details of the homicide.

Another of Pacheco’s daughters told a reporter from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) that she and her mother were in their home at the time of the attack. She said they heard two noises which sounded like firecrackers, and upon inspection found the lifeless body of her father near the front door of the house. She told CPJ there was no sign of the perpetrator.

Beltran Pacheco is the second contributor to “Organización Editorial Mexicana” (OEM) who is killed this year. Last February a group of armed men kidnapped reporter Anabel Flores Salazar at her home, who covered the police source for the newspaper El Sol de Orizaba, in the state of Veracruz. Her body was found days later with signs of torture in the neighbor state of Puebla.

“Pacheco used to cover the police, local politics and tourism sources, being particularly critical of the current administration of Omar Jalil Flores, mayor of Taxco,” declared “Artículo 19” magazine, which also demanded the Attorney General of the State of Guerrero to start the corresponding investigation into the murder.

Pacheco also worked for Radio Capital, a national radio station, specifically for the program “Al Instante” where he was the correspondent from Taxco for the last 15 years. In fact, according to the production area of Radio Capital, Pacheco Beltrán sent a recorded insert to be broadcasted today Tuesday April 26, about the dismissal of 20 employees of the Taxco city council as an act of retaliation from PRI mayor Omar Jalil Flores Majul.

In his work, Francisco was very critical of the three levels of government. “It was normal for him to criticize the authorities. That had not caused him any conflict, never denounced a threat or attack from his criticism, “said Ezequiel Flores, Proceso magazine correspondent in an interview with “Artículo 19”.

“We demand a thorough investigation into the murder, and that the masterminds and perpetrators are punished to the fullest extent of the law,” reads a statement on behalf of the 30 delegation of the National Union of Press Reporters, in Iguala, Guerrero.

Sources:

• http://www.animalpolitico.com/
• http://www.lajornadaguerrero.com.mx
• https://cpj.org/