Within a week, two Mexican journalists were killed

Earlier this month, armed masked men abducted Alfredo Cardoso Echevarría from his home in Acapulco; he was found the next day with various gunshot wounds and died on October 31 in a hospital. Several media outlets reported Cardoso's past work as a photographer in Acapulco. State prosecutors (FGE) in Guerrero announced on October 29 that an investigation had been opened into the killing but provided no further details. Governor Evelyn Salgado issued a statement on Facebook condemning the killing on October 31. She said that she had instructed the government to protect Cardoso's family and to investigate the incident. 

Meanwhile, in San Cristobal de las Casas, a man shot and killed Fredy Fernando López Arévalo on October 28. It is not yet clear whether the journalists' reporting was the cause of their deaths. Lopez served as a reporter and editor for many newspapers in Mexico and Central America according to his biography on the news website Noticiero Agencia 3. It also noted that he was a correspondent for the Mexican state news agency Notimex and head of the Central America bureau. 

On his Twitter account, where he had about 2,300 followers, Lopez recently wrote about the layoffs of municipal employees in San Cristobal as well as his support for the government of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. On his Facebook page, where he had about 6,800 followers, he also wrote summaries of local, national, and international news. His recent articles addressed groups in Chiapas that have taken up arms to fight organized crime, the killing of a teacher, and the growing number of migrants entering Chiapas.

Mexico is the country with the highest journalist death rate in the Western hemisphere. At least three journalists in Mexico have been killed in direct connection with their work this year, according to CPJ research. 

* This article contained information that was sourced from the Committee to Protect Journalists.