Oscar A. Cantú Murguía, the editor of Mexico's Norte de Ciudad Juárez newspaper, said it printed its lastt edition on Sunday and that it would soon end its digital service following the death of a journalist, the ongoing threats against journalists in Mexico and the government's inability to protect journalists. Photo courtesy of Norte de Ciudad Juárez
April 3 (UPI) -- Mexico's Norte de Ciudad Juárez newspaper said it has published its last print edition and will soon shut down its digital version after a journalist was shot dead outside her home.
"¡Adiós!" Norte de Ciudad Juárez said in big, bold letters on its front page. Oscar A. Cantú Murguía, the newspaper's editor, said the "tragic and heartfelt" death of journalist Miroslava Breach Velducea, who was shot eight times in her car outside her home in Chihuahua city on March 23, caused him to "reflect on the adverse conditions in which the exercise of journalism is developed today."
One of Breach Velducea's children was in her car during the shooting, though the child was not harmed. The gunmen left a note at the scene reading, "For being a loud-mouth."
Breach Velducea worked for Norte de Ciudad Juárez, as well as La Jornada. She covered organized crime and government corruption.
"The deadly assaults, as well as impunity against journalists, have remained in evidence -- preventing us from freely continuing with our work," Cantú Murguía wrote in an editorial published Sunday. "This day, dear reader, I am writing to inform you that I have made the decision to close this morning due to the fact that, among reasons, there are no guarantees or security to exercise critical journalism."
Cantú Murguía said that in 27 years serving Ciudad Juárez in the Chihuahua state, which borders the United States, Norte de Ciudad Juárez worked to "report with the greatest truthfulness, objectivity, honesty and transparency."
"This issue in your hands will be the last printed edition Norte de Ciudad Juárez publishes," Cantú Murguía added.
Cantú Murguía said government corruption, irresponsibility and ineptitude on a local, state and federal level also contributed to the decision to shut down.
Last week, Javier Corral, the governor of Chihuahua state, said his government does not have the resources to combat organized crime.
Chihuahua is used by criminal organizations to transport drugs across the U.S. border. The Juárez Cartel is headquartered in Chihuahua state and the Sinaloa Cartel, though based in Sinaloa state, uses routes through Chihuahua.
