Police investigate stabbing death of Mexican journalist

Journalist Nolberto Herrera Rodríguez was found stabbed to death in his home in Guadalupe, the Spanish news servive EFE reported. Rodríguez's body was found July 29 with more than 20 stab wounds, the agency reported, citing Article 19, a press freedom group.

Rodríguez served as a cameraman, reporter and editor with Canal 9 television in Zacatecas.

Alfredo Valadez Rodriguez, the chief of Canal 9 in Zacatecas, said that Herrera was very “hard working” and “active” journalist.

He also said local prosecutors in Zacatecas told him they were considering the incident as a possible crime of passion, however, they would not rule out other motives, such as exercising journalism, until a thorough investigation would be done.

Article 19  has called on authorities to conduct a proper investigation that would hopefully break a cycle of impunity for those who murder journalists. The organization also noted that it was necessary to provide security to journalists in the region so that the freedom of expression would be ensured.

New York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) ranked Mexico seventh on the 2014 Global Impunity Index. CPJ reported that 17 journalists were murdered with complete impunity during just over a decade.

According to Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission, more than 80 journalists or people in media-related positions were killed because of their work since 2000. The Commission announced that, in the last four years, 89 percent of all crimes against media have been unpunished.

A piece of new legislation approved in April 2013 was considered a breakthrough. The legislation provided Mexican federal authorities with more power to prosecute crimes against journalists. This way the prosecution process would supposedly evade the more corrupt and less effective state law enforcement officials.

Critics claimed, however, the special prosecutor’s office was slow in using its new powers and taking upon cases involving press to investigate.