After condemning the murder of journalist Javier Valdész Cárdenas in the state of Sinaloa, opposition legislators demanded the resignation of Attorney General Raúl Cervantes due to his inaction towards solving the murders of six journalists in the past six months.
National Action Party (PAN) spokesman Jorge López said that Attorney General Cervantes was “being lazy and should be severely sanctioned. If he can’t handle this job, he should pass it on to someone else.”
López also called on the federal government to guarantee the safety and well-being of journalists. He said “we can’t continue to wake up each day to news of journalists being cowardly murdered.”
The President of the Chamber of Deputies Special Commission for Monitoring Aggressions on Journalists and Media Brenda Velázquez Valdez called on the federal government to put an end to assaults against journalists. Velázquez noted Javier Valdez’s death was preceded by the murders of journalists Jesús Adrián Rodríguez Samaniego, Cecilio Pineda Brito, Ricardo Monlui Cabrera, Miroslava Breach Velducea, Máximo Rodríguez Palacios, Juan José Roldan Ávila and Filiberto Álvarez Landeros.
She also pointed out the fact that of the nearly 800 investigations carried out by the Special Prosecutor’s Office on Crimes Against Freedom of Expression only three have led to convictions.
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) member Alberto Martínez stated the federal government displays, once more, its inability to protect journalists as well as Mexican citizens. Martínez criticized authorities for spending more time on activities such as campaigning for the upcoming elections instead of working to insure the safety of people in the country.
