### Journalist’s Murder in Celaya, Guanajuato Condemned
The murder of Alejandro Martínez Noguez, a well-known journalist in Celaya, Guanajuato, has sparked widespread condemnation. Martínez, aged 57 and known by his moniker “El hijo del Llanero Solititito,” was gunned down on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at around 1 p.m. while in a patrol car with two Celaya Municipal Police officers serving as his bodyguards. Both officers were also injured in the attack.
Martínez was returning from a live broadcast on his Facebook page, covering the death of a man who was run over on the Celaya-Villagrán highway. He was attacked by multiple assailants wielding long guns and traveling in a truck. Despite being rushed to Celaya General Hospital by his police escorts, Martínez died en route.
The Guanajuato State Attorney General’s Office (FGE) promptly launched a forensic and operational team to investigate the journalist’s murder and apprehend those responsible.
Martínez had been under municipal police protection since November 2022 following an assassination attempt at his mother’s residence. He had rejected an offer to join the Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists but accepted local police protection, a measure implemented by Mayor Javier Mendoza Márquez of the National Action Party (PAN). Notably, Guillermo Mendoza, the mayor’s son, was also murdered in August 2022.
On August 5, 2024, multiple organizations, including the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Mexico, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the Inter-American Press Association (SIP), Article 19, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), condemned Martínez’s killing via their respective X (formerly Twitter) accounts. Jesús Peña Palacios, OHCHR Deputy Director, highlighted that “at least three journalist murders potentially linked to their work” had been documented.
Article 19 and its affiliate, the Red de Voces del Sur, emphasized that Martínez had received threats in November 2023, prompting increased municipal police protection. SIP President Roberto Rock Lechón called the murder reprehensible, while its Press and Information Freedom Commission Chair, Carlos Jornet, lamented Mexico’s ongoing inability to safeguard journalists, even those under police protection.
### Secondary Article: Increasing Violence Against Journalists in Mexico
The surge in targeted violence against journalists in Mexico continues to raise alarm, with Alejandro Martínez Noguez’s recent murder emphasizing the peril journalists face. According to international watchdogs, Mexico remains one of the deadliest countries for journalists, with numerous violence-related fatalities every year.
Earlier this year, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released a report indicating that over the past decade, Mexico has consistently ranked among the top ten most dangerous countries for the press. Despite various governmental protection mechanisms, journalists and human rights advocates argue that the measures are insufficient and often ineffective.
In a recent development, the Mexican government vowed to overhaul its journalist protection program in an attempt to offer more robust security measures. However, skepticism remains high, with many urging for a systemic change to combat the pervasive culture of impunity that allows such crimes to occur unabated.
Organizations like Reporters Without Borders and Article 19 have repeatedly called for more rigorous investigations and protections for journalists. They stress the importance of holding perpetrators accountable to deter future attacks and ensure the safety and freedom of the press in Mexico.