Dear Friends,

On Sunday 4th of August, the journalist and founder of the media outlet El Hijo del Llanero Solititito, Alejandro Alfredo Martínez Noguez, was shot dead as he returned home from reporting on local news in a car with his bodyguards, even though he was under Mexican state protection after surviving a previous murder attempt in November 2022. 

Alejandro Alfredo Martínez Noguez was reporting on Celaya, one of the most dangerous cities in the state of Guanajuato due to its high levels of organised crime. He was being escorted back from reporting on a traffic accident, in a car belonging to his security detail, when a white van intercepted them and opened fire. He was shot in the head, and though he was taken to the hospital, he did not survive.

It is at least the 10th time in recent years that a journalist, though under state protection, has been murdered. The state's inability to end impunity for these crimes is a crucial issue. Reporters without borders (RSF) calls upon the authorities to thoroughly investigate the circumstances that led to this journalist's murder, to identify those responsible and bring them to justice, and to ensure that journalists are protected.

It is thanks to your support that RSF can carry on its work of lobbying public authorities. Your donations are essential if we are to continue our relentless advocacy work, urging governments and political powers to ensure that media professionals are protected. Thank you for your generosity.