Mexico
Journalist and activist killed by gunmenPosted Feb 6 2012
A Mexican journalist, Raul Quirino Garza was shot while driving a new car by an unknown gunman in the municipality of Cadereyta in the state of Monterrey Jan. 6, according to reports by the Associated Press and International Press Institute. He worked for local weekly newspaper La Ultima Palabra.
The Mexican state detectives agency announced his death. The spokesman for the agency reportedly told the Associated Press that the gunman may have mistaken the journalist for a rival or wanted his car. The International Press Institute said that the incident is a reminder of how dangerous it is to work as a journalist in Mexico.
A Human rights activist was killed by unidentified person in December 2011, according to Freedom House. Nepomuceno Moreno was shot to death while crossing the street in Homosillo, Mexico. Freedom House said that Moreno was a spokesperson for the citizen group Movement for Peace to protest violence resulting from the government crackdown on drug cartels.
Freedom House said that the human rights situation in Mexico has greatly deteriorated since the Mexican government began its war on drugs in 2006.
The International Press Institute labeled Mexico as the most dangerous country in the world for journalists in 2011 with 10 killed.