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Mexican poet and reporter Filiberto Landeros is fifth journalist to be killed in country in six weeks

By Central European News

A Mexican journalist has been killed by a group of armed men who gunned him down as he was leaving the radio station building where he worked.

Filiberto Alvarez Landeros, 65, was gunned down by a group of armed men while leaving the radio channel building in the city of Tlaquiltenango, in the central Mexican state of Morelos.

The reporter, who was the host of the radio programme “Poemas y cantares” (Poems and Songs) where he usually read his poems between 9 and 10 pm every Saturday, was believed to be in his vehicle when a group of armed men approached him and shot him.

He was taken to the Ernesto Meana San Roman hospital alive but he died there due to his injuries.

Police officers belonging to the specialised criminal investigation department seized three 9 mm bullet casings and are still investigating the case.

Javier Bolanos Aguilar, a federal member of parliament of the National Action Party (PAN, centre-right wing), complained about the wave of violence and insecurity in the city of Morelos, especially in the media area.

“I deeply regret this brutal crime against the media sector, after Filiberto was killed. I send my respects and solidarity to his family for their loss”, he said.

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The politician also said: “It is not possible for the violence against our population to continue, due to a lack of guards and security in Morelos.”

He also requested authorities to find the culprits of this crime and to punish them.

Maximino Rodriguez Palacions, who was responsible for the political information part of the Colectivo Pericu newspaper was shot to death in April while in a shopping centre in the city of La Paz, in the north-western Mexican state of Baja California Sur.

With the death of Filiberto, five journalists have been killed in Mexico in the last month and a half. Cecilio Pineda Birto, the director of the La Voz de la Tierra Caliente channel and who also worked for the El Universal newspaper was also killed in the city of Ciudad Altamirano, in the state of Guerrero.

Ricardo Monlui Cabrera, columnist at the ‘Diario de Xalapa’ newspaper was also killed while having breakfast in a restaurant in the municipality of Yanga, in the state of Veracruz.

The journalist Miroslava Breach, a correspondent of La Jornada newspaper in the state of Chihuahua, was also killed, allegedly for her role investigating drug trafficking in the state.

The director of La Opinion de Poza Rica was also killed in Veracruz and is still in hospital.

According to the National Commissioner of Human Rights in Mexico, more than 120 journalists have been killed in the country since 2000.

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