MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A Mexican journalist was murdered in the southern state of Quintana Roo, authorities said on Saturday, in the latest case of a reporter being killed before a presidential election riddled with violence.
Jose Guadalupe Chan Dzib was killed in the village of Saban, in the municipality of Jose Maria Morelos, the state government said in a statement. Local media reported that he was shot dead in a bar around 10 p.m. on Friday.
“We condemn this incident and ask that the state attorney general’s office investigates,” the statement said. “We reiterate our commitment to guaranteeing a peaceful election on Sunday, July 1.”
Voters head to the polls on Sunday, with leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador widely seen as the likely winner. Mexico’s 2018 election has been one of the most violent in modern history, with dozens of politicians killed across the country.
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists – 45 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 1992 according to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists.
Quintana Roo was previously one of Mexico’s safest states, full of tourists and Caribbean resorts, but security has deteriorated rapidly in recent years as gangs have fought over lucrative drug markets.
