The editor of a Facebook news page was found dead on Friday on a road in the state of Chiapas, in southern Mexico, announced the local prosecutor’s office, which opened a homicide investigation.
The body of Víctor Culebro Morales, 39, whose Realidades portal has more than 20,000 subscribers, was found by National Guards on a road connecting the towns of Arriaga and Jiquipilas, said the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office of the state.
“An investigation has been opened for aggravated homicide,” the prosecution said, without specifying whether it was focusing on any particular line of investigation.
The body had gunshot wounds and injuries from beatings, local media reported.
Victor Culebro Morales would be the son of a politician from Chiapas who held various positions, according to these sources. In recent years, he had been associated with the organization of cultural and artistic events.
Questioned by AFP, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) indicated that Mr. Culebro had no other known journalistic activity other than writing his information page on Facebook.
Freedom of expression organisations have highlighted the difficulty of identifying as journalists people like him, who alternate reporting with other activities or have not worked in official media.
The prosecutor’s office for crimes against journalists has not commented on the case.
Mexico, plagued by a wave of violence due to organized crime, is considered one of the most dangerous countries for journalists, with more than 150 journalists murdered since 1994, according to RSF.
