Oaxacan journalist Francisco Alejandro Leyva Aguilar was shot and killed yesterday morning while having breakfast at a food stand near his home in the municipality of San Pablo Etla, state authorities reported.
The 58-year-old journalist served as director of the Oaxaca Radio and Television Corporation (CORTV) during the administration of Alejandro Murat Hinojosa and was currently one of the most critical journalists of the Morena party government led by Salomón Jara Cruz.
According to the police report, the crime was committed around 10:50 a.m. in the La Esmeralda neighborhood when two men arrived on a motorcycle. One of them got off the motorcycle, approached Leyva Aguilar, and shot him at least three times from behind, wounding him in the neck and head.
This Wednesday, in his column “The Buzz of the Bumblebee,” Francisco Alejandro criticized the low tourist turnout during this year’s Guelaguetza festivities. Last Monday, in his latest video, he identified Morena party senator Antonino Morales Toledo—a close friend of Salomón Jara—as the alleged leader of fuel theft in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. He also stated that Morales Toledo has orchestrated land grabs from the Isthmus to the Oaxacan coast, primarily in Santiago Astata.
In November, he denounced government persecution.
Last November, the journalist published a recording in which he denounced persecution by the state government. At that time, he was promoting the vote against Jara Cruz in the recall election, and state authorities announced an audit of CORTV—from the period when Leyva Aguilar was director—for alleged misuse of public funds.
Given this situation, the latter stated that he filed complaints with the Attorney General’s Office and the Oaxaca State Human Rights Commission against Salomón Jara; the Secretary of Government, Jesús Romero López; and the Legal Advisor, Geovany Vásquez Sagrero, whom he held responsible for anything that might happen to him.
The head of the State Attorney General’s Office, Bernardo Rodríguez Alamilla, arrived at the scene where Francisco Alejandro was murdered and inspected the crime scene along with the coordinator of the State Investigation Agency, Jaciel Vásquez Castro.
The state prosecutor pointed out that it is unknown whether the victim had received threats; however, he specified that his journalistic work will be considered among the lines of investigation. He added that 9mm shell casings were found at the scene and that his staff is analyzing the sequence of events, as well as reviewing footage from various security cameras in the surrounding area to try to determine the identity of the assailants.
Rodríguez Alamilla explained that state police detained a suspect, but he was only brought before the authorities as a “state witness,” as it will be necessary to determine in the coming hours whether there is sufficient evidence to link him to the homicide.
For his part, Jara Cruz condemned Leyva Aguilar’s murder on social media. “He was a journalist critical of our government, like many other journalists who exercise their right to question, point out, and freely express their opinions every day. We are and will continue to be respectful of criticism and freedom of expression; no disagreement with journalistic practice can ever justify an act of violence,” he stated.
He also asserted that “what is needed is a serious, professional, and transparent investigation” to determine who is responsible and bring them to justice; “our position is clear: that the whole truth be known and that there be no impunity,” he emphasized.
Source: jornada
