Rubén Espinosa, a Mexican photojournalist who was highly critical of the violence against members of the press in Mexico, was killed Saturday morning in Mexico City. There are reports that the Proceso journalist – along with the four others also killed – was tortured before being shot in the head, according to The Guardian. Espinosa is the seventh journalist to have been killed in Mexico this year; he fled Veracruz after threats. In June, Article 19 said Espinosa was being followed and harassed. The D.F. was supposed to be a sanctuary for journalists, but Espinosa’s death has disproved that. “We’re really surprised that it happened here,” photojournalist Sashenka Gutierrez told to the Los Angeles Times. “He came here to feel safe.”
As the increasing violence toward journalists becomes the norm, Gutierrez fears her friend will be “just another name on the list.” 41 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 2010. This has led the LA Times to report that his death underlines the growing threat journalists in Mexico face. Reportero, a documentary by Bernardo Ruiz, helps give more context to some of the dangers that journalists covering narco traffickers and corrupt politicians are exposed to.
Several thousands met in D.F. to protest Espinosa’s death on Sunday, where they held signs demanding justice for his death. Some reporters shared their own stories about violence and government inaction with the New York Times. Investigative journalist Jenaro Villamil reported that Veracruz Gov. Javier Duarte said that the journalists’ deaths are not related to what they are reporting.
Online, people are using the hashtag #JusticiaParaRubén to draw more attention to the protest, as well as the issue that is plaguing Mexico. Some went as far as calling Duarte a murderer.