Emir Olivares, La Jornada Journalist Gets Death Threats and Extortion Calls

Yaqui for Borderland Beat from: Notinfomex

Thank You Gus!

Around 12:00 a couple of subjects broke into the home of La Jornada reporter, Emir Olivares, in  Mexico City, checked through some of his belongings and after fleeing when confronted inside the house, they called him and assured him that someone had paid a million pesos to kill him for having done a job at UNAM. 

The journalist has been part of the Program for the Protection of Journalists and Human Rights Defenders since June 2017, when he was threatened after publishing a journalistic work “in which he touched people from UNAM”. 

On several occasions he received messages that threatened his physical integrity, and this Friday was the first time they entered his home. Allegedly, the aggressors took advantage of the fact that the main access was opened by a move that was taking place, and after entering the building, apparently considering that there was no one at home, they opened the door with picks and began to check the informant's belongings. 

The reporter was finishing bathing when he surprised the attackers and after facing them they fled. Moments later, he was called to both his home and cell phone numbers, identifying him by name, and told him who was calling, that he and his men had been hired to harm him. 

“They paid me a million pesos to kill him, what do you want me to do: either I kill you or you double my amount. "How much do you value ​​your beautiful family," said the man who called and told him he knew where he works, what issues he publishes, and why he had been threatened in 2017. 

He also gave him other confidential personal data of his activity and daily life. Then they started calling to demand a millionaire sum not to kill him, they even offered to pick him up so Emir could  deliver the cash to avoid being attacked. 

During the call, witnesses of the telephone call, including two escorts who are provided by the protection mechanism to journalists, heard who called him and told him that he ( the caller ) had been paid a million pesos to kill him, it was because Emir had gotten involved with people from the UNAM in one of his articles.

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the federal government will give all its support and protection to the journalist Emir Olivares, a reporter for La Jornada, after suffering death threats for his journalistic work.

“All our support, our protection, so that he does not fear being attacked in any way. They tell me that he is in the protection mechanism and it will continue to be done, he will continue to be protected, ” said the president in his morning press conference on Monday.