Debanhi Escobar’s Autopsy/Investigation of Murdered Journalists
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Debanhi Escobar’s Autopsy/Investigation of Murdered Journalists

Photo by:   Gobierno de México
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Paloma Duran By Paloma Duran | Journalist and Industry Analyst - Thu, 05/12/2022 - 11:43

Government will pronounce a  final statement on Debanhi Escobar's autopsy. Deputy Minister of Security Ricardo Mejía announced that the federal government has helped Nuevo Leon Prosecutor's Office to give a statement regarding Debanhi Escobar’s autopsy. Mejía stressed that during the investigation of the case and its autopsy, diverse techniques were used to identify the causes that led to Debanhi's femicide. “The Nuevo León Prosecutor's Office will provide a final statement based on the two autopsy reports, where federal and local authorities participated. This is very importance since this will allow us to strengthen expert and toxicological studies from a gender perspective,” said Mejía.

On April 21, the Secretary of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) reported that a body rescued from a water tank in Nuevo Leon matches the description of Escobar, the 18-year-old girl who disappeared on April 9. Debanhi's death has sparked feminist protests across the country, demanding justice in her case and greater security for all women in Mexico. In addition, due to the deficiency and errors in the search for Debhani, the Special Prosecutor's Office for Missing Persons and the Anti-Kidnapping Prosecutor's Office have been dismissed from their positions. Likewise, the work of other people who participated in Debanhi’s search will be investigated to see if there were any inefficiencies.

Public Ministry identifies individuals for the murder of two journalists in Veracruz. Deputy Minister of Security Ricardo Mejía announced that the alleged perpetrators of the murder of journalists Yesenia Mollinedo and Johana García in Veracruz have already been identified, for which they will be brought to justice soon. “Today we want to confirm that the Public Ministry has already identified the perpetrators of the murder. We expect to arrest them very soon. There is zero impunity in Mexico.” In addition, Mejía stressed that according to the investigation, it is ruled out that their work as journalists was the motive for their murder.

On Sunday, an unidentified man shot Mollinedo and Garcia inside their car. Both worked for the newspaper "El Veraz". Mollinedo was director while García was a reporter. With the death of both journalists, the number of reporters murdered in Mexico rises to 11, making 2022 the most violent year for journalists. According to the organization Article 19, since the beginning of López Obrador’s government there have been 1,945 attacks against journalists, of which 33 have been  murders.

The US could invite all American countries to the Summit of the Americas. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that he does not rule out that US President Joe Biden may invite representatives of all the countries of the continent to the Summit of the Americas, since no invitations have been sent. “I was pleased that yesterday at the White House, given the controversy of the Summit, it was stated that no invitations had been sent. I have not been formally invited and I have information that they have not send invitations to anyone, so we are going to wait. I hope they invite everyone; it would be a historic event that would change the ideological course of the continent.”

This week, a growing number of leaders have announced that they will not attend the Summit of the Americas if the US excludes Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Several countries argued that none of the countries were excluded at the 2015 Summit in Panama and the 2018 Summit in Peru, for which it makes no sense to exclude them now. In addition, several countries argued that if they are excluded it will not be a Summit of American countries but rather, a US Summit. Experts warned that the absence of several leaders in the region would be a great political embarrassment for the US, since it will show a fractured continent and its weak power in the region. Meanwhile, the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki stated that no invitation has been sent and stressed that each country has the right to refuse to participate in the Summit. However, all countries were called to participate to discuss key issues in the region such as migration, climate goals, COVID-19 collaboration, organized crime, and economic development. So far, the countries that have announced that they may skip the Summit are Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia and Antigua and Barbuda.

Photo by:   Gobierno de México

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