Director-General condemns murder of journalist Francisco Romero in Mexico

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has denounced the killing of reporter Francisco Romero in Playa del Carmen, southern Mexico, on 16 May and called on the authorities to bring the journalist’s murderers to justice.

“I condemn the murder of Francisco Romero,” said the Director-General. “I trust that the investigation underway will enable the authorities to bring all those involved to trial. Democracy cannot tolerate impunity for violent attacks on journalists, which constitute a criminal strategy of intimidation whose final purpose is to inhibit free, informed public debate.”

Romero is reported to have left his home in the early morning after receiving a tip about a possible news story. Unidentified gunmen killed him when he reached his destination.

The journalist who wrote about crime and local politics for the Quintana Roo Hoy newspaper and several online news sites had received threats to his life and had bodyguards assigned to him under Mexico’s Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.

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

See also: UNESCO condemns the killing of journalists.

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