Thursday, July 8, 2010

Newspaper Publisher Killed In Mexico, Death Penalty Sentiment Growing For Drug Cartel Hitmen

Hugo Alfredo Olivera Cartas, 27.
Owner of El Día de Michoacán newspaper

Photos: Quadratin

Sentiment growing in Mexico for federal senators and President Calderón to enact the death penalty for drug cartel leaders who order killings and hitmen commiting intentional homicide

By H. Nelson Goodson
July 8, 2010

Apatzingán, Michoacán, Mexico - On Tuesday, the state Ministry Police of Michoacán found the body of Hugo Alfredo Olivera Cartas, 27, near the split highways heading to Tepalcatepec and Aguililla. Cartas was reported shot four times, three bullet wounds under his left ear and one wound on his right arm. Police say, at about 3:00 a.m. Cartas was sitting lifeless inside his 2004 Ford Lobo pickup while the motor was running. His watch, rings and celluar phone were missing.
Cartas was last seen leaving his newspaper El Día de Michoacán on Monday night at about 9:00 p.m., when he didn't returned police in the area were notified. Cartas owned and published El Día de Michoacán newspaper and operated a News Agency with initials ADN in the city of Apatzingán. He also collaborated with the Quadratin news agency.
Family members and staff at the Michoacán newspaper reported suspects broke in and took computer hard drives, flash drives and CD's containing information about criminal news reports and crimes committed in the area.
Cartas had previously filed a complaint against several federal police officers for beating him up at a crime scene he was investigating and reporting on.
Three other reporters have been also reported missing in Michoacán. The missing journalists were identified as Ramón Zalpa, Esther Aguilar, both from the Cambio de Michoacán newspaper and Mauricio Estrada from La Opinión de Michoacán newspaper.
There have been 6 reporters killed this year, and a total of 63 reporters including owners and publishers have been reported killed between 2000 to 2010. Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous and deadly countries to work as a journalists with over 23,000 people killed and homicides connected to drug cartel hitmen.
In some instances, the news media is being censored in Monterrey and Carmargo in the state of Tamaulipas by drug cartels. Reporters are threaten to be killed, if they report on los Zetas and the Gulf Cartels who have been feuding for control of the multi-billion drug routes near the U.S.-Mexico border. The cartels have even hired reporters to turn in other journalists reporting on the drug cartels and their criminal activities.
The Michoacán Attorney General's Office is investigating Cartas homicide and the disappearance of three reporters.
A growing sentiment among the population in Mexico is growing for Mexican federal senators and President Felipe Calderón to enact the death penalty for drug cartel leaders who order killings, and cartel hitmen involved in brutal homicides involving torture, dismemberment and using acid to dispose of victims bodies.

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