Media non-profit appeals for asylum for journalists escaping Mexico
Reporters Without Borders issued an appeal to the international community today to provide asylum for journalists fleeing Mexican cities such a Ciudad Juarez. The non-profit appealed especially to the United States and Canada to provide humanitarian assistance.
Journalists in Mexico who cover organized crime are often risking their lives. The move from the global press-protection network comes in the wake the murder of Armando Rodriguez, crime reporter on El Diario, who was shot dead in Ciudad Juarez last week, and the problems some journalists are experiencing in attempting to escape Mexico.
Emilio Gutiérrez Soto, a fellow reporter of Rodriguez at El Diario, fled to the United States in June because he was getting death threats, reports Reporters Without Borders. But the non-profit claims that Gutiérrez Soto has been detained in the Texan border town of El Paso since June after entering the United States “in an unauthorized manner – while his asylum request is considered”.
“Gutiérrez has remained in detention despite a recent reminder by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees about the obligation to provide asylum. He could remain there
for several more months as a hearing scheduled for today has been postponed until March.“
Gutiérrez Soto is not the only journalist to have fled Mexico. As we reported yesterday, Jorge Luis Aguirre, director of the news website La Polaka, fled Mexico yesterday with his family to the United States after receiving death threats in his home city of Ciudad Juárez.
Luís Horacio Najera, a correspondent for the national daily Reforma, is currently in Canada, and the managing editor of Reforma, Alejandro Junco de la Vega, went to the United States several months ago for what he said were safety reasons.
Reporters Without Borders said:
“Claudio Tiznado, a reporter with Géneros, a newspaper based in Hermosillo, in the northwestern state of Sonora, requested asylum in Tucson, Arizona, in May 2007 but was unsuccessful and returned to Mexico a few months later.
“Misael Habana had a similar experience. Habana used to co-produce a news programme on the privately-owned national TV station Televisa with Amado Ramírez, who was murdered in Acapulco, in the southwestern state of Guerrero, on 6 April 2007. He requested asylum in Canada but gave up after seeing it was going to take a very long time.”
I’m not sure “Reporters Without Borders” would be a credible source for this sort of information. Most of it is skewed for political purposes, having been originally intended to discredit the Cuban government, and being underwritten by the United States government and the CIA. Not that journalists haven’t been threatened in Mexico, nor that press protection isn’t a major issue, but until asylum requests come from a legitimate journalist’s body, like the International Committee to Protect Journalist, I wouldn’t run with this without also checking with the reporters in question.
Hey Richard – thanks for your comment.
A CPJ report confirms the situation of Emilio Gutiérrez Soto:
http://cpj.org/blog/2008/09/mexican-journalist-languishes-in-texas-detention-c.php
This other CPJ reports confirms that Claudio Tiznado also requested asylum:
http://cpj.org/2007/04/mexico-border-journalist-flees-the-country-after-v.php
……..
I think this is among the most significant information for me. And i’m glad reading your article. But want to remark on some general things, The web site style is wonderful, the articles is really nice : D. Good job, cheers
Websites worth visiting…
[...]here are some links to sites that we link to because we think they are worth visiting[...]……
Yes, the last 8 years have been bad enough but Obama is running off with this country and I agree with most people about him not being an American citizen so as such the country doesnt belong to him to take off with. Its amazing the speed with which he is getting the bills passed that are surely taking rights away from the American people. Alot of people are getting their information from the media and if they are being told wrong then they will make wrong decisions. I dont blame the voters entirely, I just think that we give the media too much power. I think we have to be careful on who we listen to.
You have an affecting point of view on this subject. I am happy you shared your thoughts and I find that I agree. I enjoy your coherent writing style and the effort you have put into this piece. Thank you for the solid work and good luck with the site, I look forward to more updates.
I was reading some of your posts on this internet site and I believe this web site is very instructive! Keep posting .
You have noted very interesting details ! ps nice website . “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” by Sally Koch.
Usually I do not learn post on blogs, however I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing taste has been amazed me. Thanks, very great article.
I really like your writing style, wonderful info, thank you for posting
. “In every affair consider what precedes and what follows, and then undertake it.” by Epictetus.
I believe this website contains some really great information for everyone
. “Experience is not what happens to you it’s what you do with what happens to you.” by Aldous Huxley.
Enjoyed looking through this, very good stuff, thanks . “It is in justice that the ordering of society is centered.” by Aristotle.
You have observed very interesting points! ps nice internet site.
Outstanding post, I believe people should larn a lot from this web site its very user pleasant. “Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.” by George Carlin.
Howdy very cool blog!! Man .. Excellent .. Superb .. I will bookmark your site and take the feeds also…I am happy to find a lot of useful info here in the put up, we want develop extra techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing.
I like your writing style genuinely enjoying this web site. “Men do less than they ought, unless they do all that they can.” by Thomas Carlyle.
Thank you so much for this! I haven’t been this thrilled by a blog post for quite some time! You have got it, whatever that means in blogging. Anyway, Youre certainly somebody that has something to say that people should hear. Keep up the good job. Keep on inspiring the people!
hey oth iz on tomorrow nightcant wait 4 my leyton scenes!
Very interesting subject , thankyou for posting . “I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure-that is all that agnosticism means.” by Clarence Darrow.
I was just seeking this information for quite a while. Almost two hours of online searching, luckily I found that in your web site. I don’t understand why Google don’t rank this sort of resourceful websites in the top SERP. Generally the first few websites are full of craps. Perhaps it’s time to use another search engine.
Just wanna input that you have a very nice web site , I like the style and design it really stands out.
I think you have remarked some very interesting details , thanks for the post.
I see something really special in this web site.
Hello, you used to write great, but the last few posts have been kinda boring… I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!”In politics stupidity is not a handicap.” by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Only a smiling visitant here to share the love (:, btw outstanding design and style . “People forget how fast you did a job – but they remember how well you did it.” by Howard Newton.
I view something truly special in this site.
Its like you read my mind! You seem to know so much about this, like you wrote the book in it or something. I think that you could do with some pics to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.
Deference to author , some wonderful entropy. “When you cease to dream you cease to live.” by Malcolm Stevenson Forbes.
Merely wanna input on few general things, The website design and style is perfect, the written content is real wonderful. “To the artist there is never anything ugly in nature.” by Franois Auguste Ren Rodin.
Real nice layout and superb written content , nothing else we need : D.
I visited a lot of website but I conceive this one holds something extra in it. “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.” by Aristotle.