Director-General urges investigation into murder of journalist Santiago Barroso in Mexico

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has condemned the killing of news journalist Santiago Barroso in the northern Mexican city of San Luís Río Colorado in the state of Sonora on 15 March.

 “I condemn the murder of Santiago Barroso,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to continue investigating this crime until they can bring its perpetrators to justice. A free press is essential to democracy and contributes to sustainable development. It is crucial for society as a whole that journalists be able to carry out their work safely.”

Barroso, a local news reporter and daily programme host on 107.1 FM Río Digital, died after an unknown assailant shot him in his home. The journalist was also the director of news website Red 653, a contributor to the Contrasena newspaper and journalism professor at the Universidad Tecnológica de San Luís Rio Colorado.

UNESCO promotes the safety of journalists through global awareness-raising, capacity building and a range of actions, notably in the framework of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

See also: UNESCO observatory of killed journalists 

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Media contact: Sylvie Coudray, s.coudray@unesco.org, +33 (0)1 45 68 08 91