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More Mexican Journalists Killed For Probing Corruption Than Cartels

Jorge Sanchez, son of slain journalist Moises Sanchez, director of the newspaper La Union
Jorge Sanchez, son of slain journalist Moises Sanchez, director of the newspaper La Union

MEXICO CITY — Who's killing Mexico's journalists?

Reporters and editors have increasingly been targeted for murder during the ongoing war against Mexican drug cartels. But a recent investigation by Mexico City-based newspaper El Universal shows that a majority of the journalists killed were not investigating narcotics trafficking, but local police news and national politics.

Some 58% of the 88 journalists murdered in Mexico since 2000 primarily covered police news and national politics, compared to only 23% covering narcotics trafficking. The report illustrates how reporters in the country have become targets not only for drug cartels, but also for corrupt local governments involved in drug trafficking.

Mexican journalists are often on the front lines of their country's vicious struggle against the cartels, but they also frequently uncover financial and political corruption at all levels of government. Seven reporters have been killed so far in 2015, representing a worrying rise since numbers began to fall after President Enrique Pena Nieto took office in 2013, promising to end his predecessor's full-blown war on the country's numerous drug cartels.

According to the El Universal report, most of the murdered journalists were gunned down in their homes or on the street, and over half of the assassinations occurred in the conflict-ridden states of Veracruz, Tamaulipas, Chihuahua and Guerrero. In areas where drug cartels may hold more power or legitimacy than the government, or where police themselves are linked to organized crime, the lines become dangerously blurred for investigative reporters.

"Some local administrations have been taken over by organized crime," said researcher Luis Daniel Vazquez. "This is very grave, because journalists reporting threats to the police worsen their own situation."

In cities like Veracruz, the constant killings have intimidated newspapers into refraining from exposing too much information on the local drug trade. But in others, like the once-infamous Ciudad Juarez, journalists have continued to risk their lives for their laudable work. Elsewhere the situation is more complicated, and some cartels have even sought to establish relationships with the press to smear and keep tabs on their rivals.

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Economy

Soft Power Or Sportwashing? What's Driving The Mega Saudi Image Makeover Play

Saudi Arabia suddenly now leads the world in golf, continues to attract top European soccer stars, and invests in culture and entertainment... Its "soft power" strategy is changing the kingdom's image through what critics bash as blatant "sportwashing."

Footballer Karim Benzema, in his Real Madrid kit

Karim Benzema during a football match at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on June 04, 2023, in Madrid, Spain.

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — A major announcement this week caused quite a stir in the world of professional golf. It wouldn't belong in the politics section were it not for the role played by Saudi Arabia. The three competing world circuits have announced their merger, putting an end to the "civil war" in the world of pro golf.

The Chairman of the new entity is Yassir Al-Rumayan, head of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Add to this the fact that one of the major players in the world of golf is Donald Trump – three of the biggest tournaments are held on golf courses he owns – and it's easy to see what's at stake.

In the same week, we learned that two leading French footballers, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté, were to join Saudi club Al-Ittihad, also owned by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. The amount of the transfer is not known, but it is sure to be substantial. There, they will join other soccer stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo.

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