UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay has condemned the killing of Manuel González Reyes, who was shot dead in the city of Cuernavaca, in central Mexico on 28 September.
I condemn the murder of Manuel González Reyes. We must protect journalists so as to defend freedom of expression and press freedom. It is therefore important that the authorities spare no effort in investigating this heinous crime and prosecuting its perpetrators. Impunity must not be allowed to embolden those who use violence to keep the public uninformed.
Reyes, who directed the news website Agencia Portal Morelos Noticias, was fatally shot at close range while out in public. The journalist, who was also a candidate in the last mayoral elections in Emiliano Zapata, is the seventh reporter to be murdered in Mexico this year.
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
Media contact: Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi