Juan Carlos Muñiz, a Mexican Journalist, Was Shot Dead in Zacatecas
According to news reports, Muñiz's body was found in Los Olivos, a neighborhood in Fresnillo, a city in Zacatecas' central state.
Muñiz was found dead in a taxicab with gunshot wounds; in addition to working as a journalist for the local news portal Testigo Minero and other local outlets, he also was a taxi driver, those reports stated.
According to a statement issued by the Zacatecas state prosecutor's office, an investigation into the killing had been opened and special protocols for attacks on journalists were being implemented. Neither a motive for the attack nor a suspect were identified in that statement.
Muñiz contributed to Testigo Minero, a website that reports local news in the Fresnillo area, under the pseudonyms "Rigoberto" and "El TX," according to the outlet, which said the latter term refers to his job as a taxi driver.
Recent news articles published by Testigo Minero cover crime and security issues in Fresnillo, according to CPJ's review of its website. Many of the outlet's articles are published with the "Mining Witness" byline; CPJ was unable to find any current articles attributed to Muñiz on either the outlet's website or Facebook page.
In its statements, Testigo Minero said Muñiz also worked as a volunteer firefighter and wrote for several other media organizations, although it did not identify those outlets by name.
For years, Mexico has been one of the most dangerous countries for journalists in the world. Last month, US secretary of state Antony Blinken expressed concern over the pace of killings this year.
Mexico's drug cartels often target journalists to intimidate and manipulate coverage of their activities as well as their rivals. Local politicians and government officials are also frequently implicated in murders, and 90% of those killings remain impuned.
Although Andrés Manuel López Obrador has promised there will be no impunity in the killings, he has also regularly attacked journalists critical of his administration.
