The Bishop of the Diocese of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Mgr. Salvador Rangel
Mendoza, condemned the murder of the journalist, Cecilio Pineda Birto
which took place in Ciudad Altamirano, Tierra Caliente, and said that
organized crime "tries to silence the voices of journalists".
The prelate said that in Tierra Caliente, and in particular in Ciudad
Altamirano, "there is too much tension", and therefore called on the
authorities to pay more attention, while he calls on criminals to
"respect the lives of others".
"Unfortunately we are living in this climate of insecurity, especially
for journalists who write and give information. These criminal groups
want to silence their voices, which is why they kill them", said the
Bishop. "It is not the only case registered in the state of Guerrero",
denounced Mgr. Rangel Mendoza, who has acknowledged that being a
journalist "is a difficult profession, but we cannot accept murder to
silence their voices; also because they represent the voices of the
people, the community".
The journalist was murdered on the evening of March 2 while washing his
car at a gas station. The annual report of "Reporteros sin Fronteras"
2016, was published a few days ago, and Latin America has a terrible
toll: 31 journalists murdered. As in 2015, Mexico is still the first of
the black list, with 13 murders.
Followed by Guatemala (8), Brazil (4),
Honduras (3) and Venezuela, Peru and El Salvador with one murder for
each country. Mexico comes as the third most dangerous place in the
world for journalists.