SAA event in Mexico on Tue 29th October 2024

Unidentified assaults shot and killed journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís at around 10 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29, in Urupan, a city in the southwestern state of Michoacán, moments after he interviewed Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo about a recent local market fire.

“The brutal and brazen killing of journalist Mauricio Cruz Solís is the first such deadly attack during the government of President Claudia Sheinbaum and underscores the ongoing violence and impunity the Mexican press faces every day,” said Jan-Albert Hootsen, CPJ’s Mexico Representative. “Mexican authorities must immediately conduct a credible investigation into this killing. If Mexican authorities allow this crime to go unpunished, it will be a sad reminder that a change of government has not brought safety for the nation’s press.”

The Michoacán state prosecutor’s office (FGE) posted a Tuesday statement on the social media site X saying they have launched an investigation.

Cruz, 25, was a news anchor for broadcaster Radiorama Michoacán and founder of news website Minuto x Minuto. He reported on general news, including politics and security, according to his friend and colleague, Julio César Aguirre, who spoke with CPJ. Aguirre said he was unaware of any threats to Cruz’s life.

An official for the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, a federal agency, told CPJ via messaging app on October 29 that the agency had not registered any threats against Cruz or assigned him any security measures. They spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, as they are not allowed to speak publicly on the matter.