Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, has condemned the murder of reporter Leobardo Vázquez in the town of Gutiérrez Zamora, in the Mexican State of Veracruz on 21 March.
“I condemn the murder of Leobardo Vázquez,” said the Director-General. “I call on the authorities to spare no effort in finding the culprits of this assassination which further undermines the ability of journalists in the region to do their important work nurturing informed public debate.”
Leobardo Vázquez, who managed Enlace Informativo Regional, a Facebook page dedicated to news and crime reports, was shot outside his house at night. He is the third media worker in Mexico whose killing has been brought to the attention of UNESCO this year.
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