Adrián
Fernández Guerra, the director of the Morelos-based magazine Perfil (English:
Profile), announced that he will leave Mexico together with his family after he was kidnapped a few days ago in the state of Morelos. He was freed a few hours after his kidnapping, which was reported by Borderland Beat last week.
The journalist
said that while he was held captive, his kidnappers began asking about his
journalistic investigations. In a press conference, Fernández Guerra said
he feared for his integrity and that of his family. He believes the masterminds
of his kidnapping are still at large.
His release is
the exception and not the rule in Mexico. The country continues to be one of
the most dangerous places for journalists in the world. At least 47
journalists were killed during the administration of former president Enrique
Peña Nieto (2012–2018). During the current administration of Andrés
Manuel López Obrador, at least 11 journalists have been killed for their work.
Kidnapping and
release
Fernández Guerra was kidnapped on 18 February 2020 inside a restaurant in Cuernavaca while he celebrated his birthday with family and friends. The kidnapping took place a day after gunmen killed a radio personality in Ciudad Juárez.
Fernández Guerra was kidnapped on 18 February 2020 inside a restaurant in Cuernavaca while he celebrated his birthday with family and friends. The kidnapping took place a day after gunmen killed a radio personality in Ciudad Juárez.
The assailants took Fernández Guerra at gunpoint and forced him inside a white vehicle. They shot and killed a valet parking worker who tried to stop the abduction. "They killed a 20 year-old man that did not have to die", Fernandez Guerra told reporters.
The kidnapping
caused reactions from numerous press freedom organizations like Article 19 and
Reporters Without Borders. On their Facebook page, Fernández Guerra's magazine asked for the safe return of their
colleague. The police quickly mounted an operation to locate Fernández
Guerra and soon discovered the location of a safe house where he was being
held. The Mexican Army, the National Guard, and state police officers executed
the raid to rescue him.
 |
| Mug shots of some of the abductors |
With armored
vehicles, the troops entered the house and confronted the suspects while other
units surrounded the house. The suspects were quickly overwhelmed and
surrendered; 10 were taken into custody. Authorities seized multiple firearms
and vehicles.
Fernández
Guerra returned to his family but grew worried that more people may have been
involved in his abduction. He stated that although 10 people were in custody,
he felt the masterminds were not arrested.
After rumors surfaced that Fernandez Guerra may have staged his abduction, Fernandez Guerra vehemently denied such statements and told reporters he had 17 head injuries that were caused by his abductors. "I have 17 injuries on my head because they hit me all night with their guns", the journalist told reporters.
"I told my
colleagues that I am leaving [Mexico] ... it is necessary to implement better
security for journalists in Morelos so that what I lived does not happen again
to a colleague," he said. For obvious reasons, Fernández Guerra did not
say where he would relocate. He is currently in the process of requesting an asylum.
Source(s): Radio Formula; La Razon; El Heraldo; Proceso; Knight Center; El Heraldo (2)
MX, no disrespect but listing Wikipedia on your resume doesn't do much to boost your credibility (not saying it's damaged) but it does more harm than good..
ReplyDeleteFair enough, feedback taken. Wikipedia is very strict with sources, reliability and information but it's "open-source software" creates many misconceptions about its credibility. Cheers.
DeleteI would like to weigh in. I used to think the same, but now know WIKI is heavy handed in requirement of sources.
DeleteI can also say, and I have stated this publicly on social media that MX is the absolute best researcher I have ever encountered.
I trust his work. and appreciate his willingness to contribute to BB
Doesn't look like he had 17 head injuries. Super fishy, but then again, I am a conspiracy theorist.
ReplyDeleteI agree. After he was rescued, he was taken to his family but everything seemed very staged. Cameras were ready to receive him and it appeared almost choreographed.
DeleteIf it was staged, he mentioned one restaurant guard was killed. Now, that is one evil thing to do.
DeleteDang. Really? I didn't look at the sources MX but will. Thanks for posting so many btw. Nice job!
DeleteMy guess is the mastermind of his definitely still at large. Said 'mastermind' was probably rescued and is now going to seek asylum.
ReplyDeleteGreat job mx, I enjoy your work and have for a good while
ReplyDeleteThank you, Unknown. Hope you have a great day.
DeleteU better not getting help Amlo
ReplyDeleteWow 10 kidnappers at a safe house caught,no regular jobs thereby dedicated to crime. And again the criminals get thier faces covered.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. has adopted a similar pattern of hostility toward journalists that isolated Gary Webb when he exposed the government role in the rock cocaine epidemic in L.A. This is the creep toward authoritarian rule, gaining momentum as a recent court ruling favored the U.S. president in ignoring a subpoena for the White House Council to testify. The U.S. with all its tools of technological enforcement, isn't effectively sharing them with Mexico , where perhaps 2% of all homicides result in arrest. This in itself should negate any trade agreement since we cannot know who to trust when no records are produced.
ReplyDeleteYes let's blame the US.
DeleteBlame Spain too while we are at it... it’s never Mexico’s fault... some people never take responsibility for their actions...
DeleteEste pinche CHAYOTERO published luxurious editions of propaganda paid with government money to help PRIISTA candidates, even from Veracruz like Yunes,
ReplyDeleteReal Mexican Journalists do not even get paper to print their crap and they also get killed, murdered, tortured, executed or disappeared unless they also do chayote and propaganda disguising themselves as "opposition" like Brozo, "el Paso Tenebrozo" and his girlfriend and loret de moolah or el pata de Caballo, lopez doriga.
This Chayotero is just trying to go and swim with the Sharks of Chayote on the US, if he had staged his own kidnapping, it would not have worked better, I fear other journalists will try the same tactic but what can we do?
Aqui estamos pa'cer viles.
Thanks for the insight. He said his abductors asked him about his publications, but I was unable to find anything he / his magazine wrote that could have angered organized crime members. The thing is, you never really know what will piss them off. But this may not help Fernández Guerra's case and that is why some people think he staged this.
DeleteCould someone please explain to me why journalist are targeted ? Do the cartels think it's going to help their public image ? It makes no sense.oh, and what's a chayote in this sense?
Delete6:30 Chayo, short for chayote, is money the government pays to TV radio and printed news, in exchange for favorable reports, sometimes to enhance their credibility, wome reporters (journalists) even pose as government critics or adversaries to be more credible at strategic times, but they are all the way in on the trickstery.
DeleteEl pata de caballo lopez doriga (lost toes) amd Carlos loret de Moolah, televisa, radio imagen are among the top paid, now they criticize AMLO because he won't pay them chayote/extortion and because now he has his morning talks with the press that gets in early.
He was seconds away from being chopped up and put into a xoxo cooler. This is the first rescue I heard of.
ReplyDeleteJajaja 😁
DeleteEste drama trae años en su desarollo.
ReplyDelete