A killing profession. 10 journalists killed in Latin America & the Caribbean

 

A killing profession. 10 journalists killed in Latin America & the Caribbean

by Fernando Andrés Torres

 Ten journalists were killed in Latin America and the Caribbean during the first four months of this year, according to a recent report by a commission of the Latin American Federation of Journalists (Felap, acronym in Spanish) set to investigates crimes against journalists.

 The murder of Honduras’ Radio Progreso journalist, Carlos Mejia Orellana, on April 11, would have been passed inadvertently by his counterparts in the US main stream media if not for the recent statement by U.S. Representatives James P. Mcgovern (Ma), Sam Farr (Ca) and Janice D. Schakowsky (Il) denouncing it.

 Despite the many warnings by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights about threats against Mejia, he was stabbed in his home last April 11 in the city of El Progreso, Honduras.

 Journalism can be a life threatening profession in Latin America, a previous report by Felap’s Latin American Commission to Investigate Crimes Against Journalists (CIAP, acronym in Spanish) and published by Argenpress.info, in 2013, 29 murders and 4 disappearances were committed against journalists and media workers in Latin America and the Caribbean.

 2014 isn’t looking any better as CIAP record-keeping report indicates from January to April 10 killings; there were 4 assassinations in Brazil, 3 in Mexico, 1 in Colombia, 1 in Panama, and now Mejia in Honduras.

 Journalists and communications workers killed in 2014, Brazil: Santiago Andrade, Pedro Palma, José Lacerda da Silva, and Geolino Lopes Xavier. Mexico: Miguel Ángel Guzmán Garduño, Gregorio Jiménez de la Cruz, and Omar Fabián Reyes. Colombia: Yonni Steven Caicedo. Honduras: Carlos Mejía Orellana. Panamá: Ramón “Monchi” Cano.

 

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