JournalismPakistan.com | Published May 17, 2019
Join our WhatsApp channel
MEXICO CITY - A Mexican journalist under a federal protection program was found shot to death Thursday in the resort town of Playa del Carmen, authorities said.
Quintana Roo state prosecutors said Francisco Romero's body was found on a sidewalk in a neighborhood not frequented by tourists.
They said Romero had filed a police report April 12 stating he had received threats, though the source of those threats was not specified.
Romero worked for news pages on Facebook and the web that have apparently been closed for some time, reportedly including one for which two other slain Playa del Carmen journalists had worked.
In July 2018, Ruben Pat Cahuich, the director of the online news site Playa News Aqui y Ahora, was killed. In June, police reporter Jose Guadalupe Chan Dzib from the same outlet was killed.
Reporters without Borders, the journalist advocacy group, said in a statement that Romero had received threats and had been part of Mexico's journalist protection program since the killing of his colleagues last year. He had been given a "panic button" and a protection team made up of four police officers.
But Wednesday night he let the police go to rest. At 5:00 a.m. he received a phone call telling him to cover an incident at a bar and an hour later he was found dead outside it, according to the statement.
Emmanuel Colombié, director of the group's Latin America office, said: "The government must take bold decisions and deeply reform the national protection mechanism, whose efficiency has been constantly questioned."
The Committee to Protect Journalists said Romero was the sixth journalist killed since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office Dec. 1.
Less than two weeks ago, Telésforo Santiago Enríquez, a teacher, indigenous rights advocate and founder of a community radio station in Oaxaca, was killed.
Playa del Carmen has suffered increasing violence in recent years. In January, seven men were killed in a shooting attack at a bar in Playa del Carmen, and another shooting on Monday killed one person and wounded 11 at another bar in Playa. - AP
July 08, 2025: As Pakistani authorities move to block YouTube channels of journalists, censorship tightens. Yet, social media has emerged as a defiant force, keeping the spirit of free speech alive despite increasing state control.
July 08, 2025: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has acquitted a murder accused, ruling that confessions made to the media while in police custody are inadmissible. Justice Athar Minallah emphasized due process and transparency in legal proceedings.
July 08, 2025: The Pakistan government has approached a court seeking the removal of several YouTube channels operated by prominent journalists, accusing them of spreading false information and provoking unrest against state institutions.
June 11, 2025: Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025: Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025: Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.
May 19, 2025 PJS reports 219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with 30 women among the victims. Over 430 were injured and 685 family members were killed. Read more on the systematic targeting of media in Gaza.
May 15, 2025 Discover the legacy of Samiullah Khan, Pakistan’s legendary "Flying Horse," whose breathtaking speed and artistry redefined hockey. From Olympic glory to World Cup triumphs, his story is one of myth, movement, and magic.
May 04, 2025 Algerian authorities suspend Echorouk News TV for 10 days after it used a racist slur against African migrants. ANIRA demands an apology, calling it a violation of human dignity.
May 04, 2025 NCHR and MMfD launch a journalism fellowship to train reporters on digital rights & gender inclusion in Pakistan. Supported by UNESCO, this initiative aims to bridge the gender digital divide. Apply by May 15, 2025!
April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.