The threats received yesterday by the group Article 19 are part of the climate of aggression against journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico; thus, the authorities should investigate the case and punish those responsible as soon as possible, said the executive director of the organization, Dario Ramírez.
"The threats of which we were victims occur in a national context where the murders of journalists and human rights defenders who are in a state of great vulnerability are common. We are in the Federal District [Mexico City], where there is an extensive network of protection, but there are many others who don't have it," he said in an interview.After receiving a letter with threats to him and his team, Ramírez immediately contacted the authorities and met yesterday with the Undersecretary for Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the federal Secretariat of Government Relations, Lía Limón.
"All threats should be taken seriously. Let's be cautious, but also announce that we will not capitulate. We are not going to go away, nor will we stop doing what we have been doing. We will continue to work diligently and with all the additional precautions," he said.Dario Ramírez chose not to venture hypotheses about the identity of the authors of the menace.
"Because of the impunity in Mexico, it is easy to threaten journalists and human rights defenders, but we have to contribute to breaking this cycle. We will not fall into paranoia. We appeal to the support of other organizations and the press, because in the end, that pressure is what leads the authorities to do their job," he said.Spanish original