Mexican journalist murdered in the state of Quintana Roo

A Mexican journalist was murdered in the southern state of Quintana Roo , authorities said on Saturday , in the latest case of a reporter being killed before a presidential election riddled with violence.

Jose Guadalupe Chan Dzib

was killed in the village of Saban , in the municipality of Jose Maria Morelos , the state government said in a statement. Local media reported that he was shot dead in a bar around 10 p.m. on Friday .

The United Nations High Commissioner for the protection of Human Rights in Mexico (ONU-DH) has condemned the murder of the journalist, pointing out that Chan Dzib had received multiple threats in the previous weeks, but hadn’t been given adequate protection.

Chan Dzib worked for the Playa News weekly publication as well as the Tábano journal, for which he covered news related to drug violence and corruption..

“We condemn this incident and ask that the state attorney general’s office investigates,” the statement said. “We reiterate our commitment to guaranteeing a peaceful election on Sunday, July 1 .”

Voters headed to the polls on Sunday and the victory of leftist candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was confirmed yesterday. Mexico’s 2018 election was one of the most violent in modern history , with dozens of politicians killed across the country.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists - 45 journalists have been killed in Mexico since 1992 according to the U.S.-based Committee to Protect Journalists .

Quintana Roo was previously one of Mexico’s safest states, full of tourists and Caribbean resorts, but security has deteriorated rapidly in recent years as gangs have fought over lucrative drug markets.

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