Unidentified attackers shoot at Beatriz Flores' car after she received a threatening call

Beatriz Flores, founding editor of Presencia Hidalguense, was attacked by unidentified gunmen early on November 10. At least eight bullet casings were found after attackers opened fire on her car, according to the police. Fortunately, Beatriz survived the attack.

After the perpetrators shot at her, the journalist managed to alert the authorities. Beatriz was contacted on November 8 by an unidentified woman regarding a recent story Beatriz published on the news platform Presencia Hidalguense, which has a following of 67,000 subscribers. She pointed to her report on the arrest of a man accused of transporting stolen horses in La Colmena, Hidalgo.

Beatriz was accused by an anonymous caller of publishing pictures that she did not have the right to publish. During her investigation for the story, Beatriz obtained those photographs from the police. Pictures showed a truck that was allegedly used in the crime. The unidentified caller attempted to intimidate the journalist by stating that a local gang, Los Rabanos, was not responsible for the crime. Beatriz's report did not mention the gang by name. By the end of the call, the woman warned Beatriz that she would face dire consequences if she didn't remove the article.

Several hours later, on November 10, unknown attackers fired several shots at Flores' car​​.​ ​Soon after, police arrived on the scene and began investigating. The state of Hidalgo has assigned the journalist police protection for at least two months.

Mexico and India are tied as the deadliest countries for journalists in 2021.