Yesterday afternoon in Mexico City, Mexican photojournalist Rubén Espinosa was confirmed dead, the victim of two gunshot wounds, according to reports. Espinosa’s death was one of five deaths: reports indicated that three women who were in the same apartment as Espinosa also died, while the fourth woman who died was a domestic worker. Reports also said that Espinosa had fled his home state of Veracruz, and that he was considered missing, according to groups who push for greater free speech in Mexico.
Today, the Committee to Protect Journalists Américas tweeted that at least 11 journalists have been murdered in Veracruz since 2011, with three others gone missing. In addition, the main Committee to Protect Journalists site has a list of 80 journalists and media workers who have been killed in Mexico (34 of the 80 killed with “a motive confirmed”) since 1992. Espinosa would be 81, if his name were to be added to the CPJ list. Earlier this year, according to the BBC, “the National Commission on Human Rights said 97 journalists had been killed in Mexico in connection with their work since 2010.”
News of Espinosa’s death has led to #JusticiaParaRubén (#JusticeForRuben), a hashtag that is quickly trending on Twitter in Mexico City and Mexico this afternoon.
Mexico City
1 #JusticiaParaRuben
2 #FelizDomingo
3 #ZQUAD
4 #SFStreetDemoMX
5 #DiabloOPumaEnTD
6 Arsenal pic.twitter.com/F18IEuRJqu
— Trend Topics Mexico (@TrendTopicsMex) August 2, 2015
Here are just some of the tweets that people have shared in the past few hours:
Una imagen que lo dice todo #JusticiaParaRubén pic.twitter.com/A9ZbD8ZX3b
— Silvia Carlova (@SilviaCarlova) August 2, 2015
One image says it all: You don’t kill the truth by killing journalists.
Periodistas de #Oaxaca exigen #JusticiaYa #JusticiaParaRubén corresponsal de Veracruz asesinado #BastaYa pic.twitter.com/8zZdRyZomN
— Metztli Beltrán Lira (@dbelir_metz) August 2, 2015
Journalists from #Oaxaca demand #JusticeNow #JusticeForRuben, a Veracruz correspondent who has been murdered #Enough
D.E.P. #RubenEspinosa #JusticiaParaRuben #CDMX #Edomex #Veracruz @fernandeznorona @HoyEstado @AgenciaNVM pic.twitter.com/ssDsHshhCQ
— Don Cortés (@Cortesdon) August 2, 2015
Rest in Peace, #RubenEspinosa #JusticeForRuben #Edomex #Veracruz: Ruben Espinosa, another journalist murdered for investigating corruption in the state of Veracruz
De verdad no hay palabras #JusticiaParaRubén
— Mariela (@Hey_marielA) August 2, 2015
They truly are no words #JusticeForRuben
Solidaridad a las familias de las 4 chicas y Rubén #JusticiaParaRuben
— MiriamDelgado (@MiriamDMa) August 2, 2015
Solidarity for the four women and Rubén #JusticeForRuben
This video shows photographers from the state of Jalisco:
Fotografos de Jalisco se manifiestan para exigir #JusticiaParaRuben Fotoperiodista asesinado pic.twitter.com/6ErxZgli4F
— Karla Jiménez (@KaJiux) August 2, 2015
Some people are tweeting about a protest scheduled for later this afternoon in the Mexican capital:
@HugoSadh @penmargo #JusticiaParaRuben Que su cobarde homicidio no quede impune Concentración en el Angel , hoy 4 pm pic.twitter.com/U22UFElhGA
— Compa Quetzal (@Q7Angels) August 2, 2015
That his cowardly murder does not go unpunished. Gather at El Ángel at 4pm: Not one more dead journalist! No more murdered youth!
This evening, tweets of the protest began to appear on Twitter.
Jailed in Egypt. Murdered in Mexico. #FreeAJStaff #journalismisnotacrime #JusticiaParaRuben pic.twitter.com/gMzL0glMxo
— luke upchurch (@LukeUpchurch) August 3, 2015
A sad and moving day in Mexico City as people march in protest at another murdered journalist #JusticiaParaRuben pic.twitter.com/etAdxDmJsC
— luke upchurch (@LukeUpchurch) August 2, 2015