Journalist Fredid Román Román was killed on Monday afternoon in Chilpancingo, Guerrero, inside his vehicle, on Valerio Trujano Street, Nicolás Bravo neighborhood, in the center of the city.
The organization Article 19 maintained that the journalist was intercepted by armed men on a motorcycle and was shot dead.
According to the Guerrero Prosecutor’s Office, an investigation folder for the homicide has already been initiated.
“Ministerial personnel and the Expert Services moved to the scene of the events, to carry out the corresponding acts of investigation that allow obtaining the necessary evidence to clarify the facts,” the agency published.
⚠️ ARTICLE 19 documents the murder of journalist Fredid Román, which occurred around 5:00 p.m. in Chilpancingo, #Guerrero.
According to the information gathered, the journalist was intercepted by armed men on a motorcycle and was killed with a firearm pic.twitter.com/4xT34nClJv
— ARTICLE 19 MX-CA (@article19mex) August 23, 2022
Fredid Román was also founder and director of the newspaper La Realidad; he had his own column called “La Realidad Escrita”, which he published in the newspaper Vértice, as well as in the medium Desde Abajo.
In addition, he was a contributor to the magazine Quehacer Político and former director of communication of the Ministry of Education of Guerrero.
Investigation into connection to murder of his son
The Guerrero Prosecutor’s Office said that one of the lines of investigation in the case is the possible relationship between the journalist’s murder and that of his son Bladimir, who was murdered on July 1 in the town of Ocotito, within Chilpancingo.
press release #FiscaliaATuAlcance pic.twitter.com/hgIhsb97qa
— FGE Guerrero (@FGEGuerrero) August 23, 2022
With the case of Román, there are at least 15 murders of journalists in Mexico so far this year.
Just last week, Sonora confirmed the murder of journalist Juan Arjón López, who had been reported missing.
At the beginning of August, the journalist Ernesto Méndez, director of the medium Your Voice, was murdered in San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato.
On June 29, journalist Antonio de la Cruz was murdered near his home in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas; his daughter also died a day later from injuries from the attack.
In the semi-annual report “Impunity and Denial in the Face of Extreme Violence against the Press Persists,” article 19, the organization dedicated to the defense of freedom of expression documented 331 attacks against media and journalists in the first six months of the year.
However, attacks carried out by members of organized crime soared 150%, compared to the first half of 2021.
What we do at Animal Político requires professional journalists, teamwork, dialogue with readers and something very important: independence. You can help us keep going. Be part of the team.
Subscribe to Animal Político, receive benefits and support free journalism.#YoSoyAnimal
