Leading journalist blames Mexican government for murdered reporters

LEADING Mexican journalist Anabel Hernandez has condemned the Mexican government for allowing the murder of reporters.

The journalist said government complicity was to blame for the spiralling number of murdered journalists.

Among them was Javier Valdez, a prominent investigator of drug-related crimes who was shot 12 times in the north-west city of Culiacan.

“It is clear that to be able to kill one journalist as famous, as important, as Javier Valdez, someone in the government gave permission to do it,” she said. Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.

“These journalists have not just have been murdered by members of the cartels,” Hernandez said, arguing that in most cases “members of the government, state government or the federal government” were directly involved. Hernandez has experienced this danger first hand.

“I put the names of chiefs of the police (in my book), and because of that these officials wanted to kill me, ordered my killing.”

The journalist also pointed a finger at the US, claiming, “The CIA, the DEA have been involved managing the drug trafficking for decades.”

According to Hernandez, US and international financial institutions are also complicit in the drug trade.

“Many American banks launder the money of these cartels. But no one says anything, and that is very sad.

“No one really wants to destroy the cartels because this illegal money, that costs blood in Mexico, is moving the economy in many parts of the world,” she added. – teleSUR