Mexico records ninth journalist killing in 2026

Gunmen have shot dead a Mexican journalist in Oaxaca state, bringing the number of journalists killed in the country this year to nine, according to press freedom monitors.

Hamurabi Huesca Manzano, owner of the news website Pinotepa Comunica, was killed on Friday when armed men opened fire on him and two other men in southern Mexico, according to a report by the state prosecutor.

The human rights organisation Article 19 confirmed his death, adding to the number of journalist killings tracked by Reporters Without Borders.

Huesca Manzano ran Pinotepa Comunica, a news platform with more than 52,000 followers that covered politics and local affairs in Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, where he lived. He also worked as a taxi driver.

Following his killing, Article 19 called on the authorities to investigate whether his journalism was connected to the attack.

“We demand that the (prosecutor’s office) treat his journalistic work as a priority in its investigation,” the organisation said in a post on X.

Mexico remains one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporters Without Borders says more than 150 media professionals have been killed in the country since 1994.

Huesca Manzano’s death adds to concerns over the safety of journalists reporting on political and local issues in the country.

AFP