Mexican journalist Alejandro Gallegos killed in Tabasco

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published 10 months ago |  CPJ News Alert

NEW YORK—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Mexican authorities to swiftly complete an investigation into the killing of journalist Alejandro Gallegos Leon, an academic and evangelical pastor based in the state of Tabasco, who was reported missing on January 24, according to a report. His remains were found the next day in the town of Cardenas, according to news reports.

“The killing of Alejandro Gallegos comes weeks after the killing of journalist Calletano de Jesus Guerrero, underscoring the ongoing crisis violence and impunity journalists in Mexico face,” said Jan-Albert Hootsen, CPJ’s Mexico representative. “Unless Mexican authorities take all appropriate steps to find Gallegos’ attackers, president Claudia Sheinbaum’s commitment to protecting press freedom continue to ring hollow.”

Gallegos, 51, was the editor of La Voz del Pueblo, a news website based on Facebook, according to news reports. He also worked as a teacher at the Alfa y Omega Presbyterian University in Tabasco and as a lawyer, they added.

La Voz del Pueblo mostly publishes short news stories and videos on regional politics in Tabasco. Despite news reports of a recent spike in criminal violence in the state, the website did not extensively cover that topic. Its recent articles on politics mostly cover press events in a neutral tone.

It is unclear whether Gallegos had received threats. CPJ was unable to find contact information for his family. Messages to La Voz del Pueblo via Facebook and calls to the Alfa y Omega University for comment were not immediately answered.

The Tabasco state prosecutor’s office (FGE) said in a statement released on X on January 25 that it opened an investigation, without providing further details. Several phone calls by CPJ to the FGE to request comment were not answered.

The Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, a federal government agency that provides protective measures to the press, said in a January 25 statement on X that Gallegos was not incorporated in a federally sanctioned protection program.

On January 29, Tabasco Governor Javier May said on X that a suspect in the case had been arrested. He did not provide further details. Several calls by CPJ to the governor’s office were not answered.