Unknown individuals shot dead Mexican journalist Alejandro Leyva in the southern state of Oaxaca. The serious attack took place while the 60-year-old Leyva was in front of a street food kiosk.
The country's Attorney General's Office immediately launched an investigation. The Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Crimes Against Freedom of Expression was requested for assistance in the case.
Alejandro Leyva was known for his sharp comments in his political column. In it, he systematically exposed corruption schemes in the government. The journalist also actively covered the brutal violence committed by local criminal groups.
The governor of the state of Oaxaca, Salomón Jara, officially condemned the murder on social media. He said Leyva was a critical-thinking journalist who freely exercised his right to point out the government's shortcomings.
The attack is another major blow to the independent press. It is the fourth ostentatious killing of a media worker in the country since early June. Earlier in July, the remains of kidnapped journalist Roxana Guzmán were found. In June, reporters Luis Angel Lopez and Manuel Moreno also lost their lives, according to the human rights organization Article 19. Statistics from Reporters Without Borders reinforce Mexico's reputation as one of the most dangerous countries in the world to practice journalism outside of active conflict zones. Most such crimes there go completely unpunished.