A journalist holds a photo of late photojournalist Margarito Martinez during a protest to demand justice for the violent deaths of five journalists this year, amid a new peak in attacks against press workers in the country, outside a military facility where Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador holds his regular news conference, in Tijuana, Mexico February 17, 2022. REUTERS/Jorge Duenes
MEXICO CITY 鈥� Journalists in the Mexican border city of Tijuana on Thursday held protests to urge President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to bring to an end the spate of violence that has seen five media workers killed this year.
Reporters protested inside and outside the military barracks in Tijuana, where Lopez Obrador held a morning news conference.
Two of the five media workers murdered this year were killed in Tijuana and the protests come at a time when the president has increased his verbal attacks against journalists.
鈥淥ur profession is very hurt. As in all of Mexico, we work beneath the shadow of being attacked and killed for our work, and the crimes committed against us aren鈥檛 resolved,鈥� said local reporter Sonia de Anda during the conference.
Lopez Obrador said he regretted the deaths and that there would be no impunity in their cases, though he later lashed out at 鈥渕ercenary鈥� journalists whom he said were funded by 鈥渋nfluence peddlers鈥� and the United States to attack him.
The president鈥檚 bellicose comments follow days of sharp criticism against him for repeatedly broadcasting the purported salary of a well-known Mexican newscaster, Carlos Loret de Mola, in his daily press conference.
Lopez Obrador鈥檚 broadside against Loret came after the reporter published an expose alleging one of the president鈥檚 sons lived in a house in Texas owned by an executive of a company doing business with state oil firm Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
鈥淲e ask you to stop the messages of hate towards the profession in general, which put us all in the same situation,鈥� said reporter Alejandra Guerra outside of the press conference.
The streak of violence against journalists in the country has put Lopez Obrador under international pressure, including by U.S. lawmakers.
The protests on Thursday were the latest by journalists in the country. Earlier this week the press corps covering the nation鈥檚 Congress turned their backs on legislators, shouting 鈥淲e want to stay alive!鈥�