Chiapas: Journalist Carlos Herrera Hernandez Threatened in San Cristobal de Las Casas

@LaJornada

The journalist Carlos Herrera Hernandez denounced in a letter threats by Jeronimo Ruiz Lopez, leader of tenants in San Cristobal de las Casas, on June 21^st, while he was covering the protest carried out by taxi and van drivers.

Herrera, who is a reporter and founder of the weekly Mirada Sur, affirmed that while he was interviewing some drivers about the reasons for the demonstration, Ruiz approached him “and began to threaten me; he told me to be careful with what I say if I don’t want what happened to Fredy Lopez Arevalo, a journalist assassinated outside his home in San Cristobal” on October 28^th.

The journalist relates that he was intimidated by Ruiz, who warned him that if he continued to report violent acts in the city, his life would be in danger. “I am not afraid, but if something were to happen to me, my family, my collaborators, the main person responsible for spilling my blood will be you, Jeronimo Ruiz. I want to make it clear that there are already several occasions when this person has been threatening me, he even does it in various WhatsApp groups, as if he had so much power to kill anyone”, said the journalist. He also reported that he had filed the respective complaints with the State Attorney General’s Office for Journalists, with the Secretary of Government of the State of Chiapas, and with Governor Rutilio Escandon Cadenas.

Federal Deputy Olga Luz Espinosa Morales asked to investigate the threats against the journalist and the possibility that he be incorporated into the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, in order to provide him with the appropriate protection measures against the conjuncture of violence and insecurity that exists in the state of Chiapas.

For more information in Spanish:

Periodista denuncia amenazas de líder de locatarios en San Cristóbal (Ronda Política, 21 de junio de 2022)

Diputada PRD pide protección para periodista amenazado en Chiapas ( W Radio, 22 de junio de 2022)

Periodista denuncia amenazas de líder de locatarios en San Cristóbal (La Jornada, 23 de junio de 2022)

For more information from SIPAZ:

Chiapas: Tapachulan Journalists Leave Country Due to Threats (June 8, 2022)

National: Alarming Number of Murdered Journalists in Mexico – One Fewer than Ukraine (May 19, 2022)

National: Violence against Journalists Continues (May 6th, 2022)

Chiapas: Reporter Fredy Lopez Arevalo Murdered at Home in San Cristobal de Las Casas(October 31, 2021)