Mexican Drug War

SLAYING PROMPTS PLAN TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS

Journalists try very hard, even in the face of danger, not to back
down from reporting a story.

In parts of Mexico, that is a tall order.

Hence, El Diario de Juarez, the largest newspaper in Ciudad Juarez,
has declared a truce of sorts after drug criminals killed its second
employee in less than two years.

A new employee, Luis Carlos Santiago, 21, a photographer, was slain
last week. In 2008, a crime reporter from the same newspaper was
slain by gunmen. At least 22 Mexican journalists have been killed and
seven others have vanished in the last four years, the Associated
Press reported. ADVERTISEMENT

A front-page editorial in El Diario de Juarez implored the cartels to
say what they expected of the newspaper so it can continue reporting
without further endangering its staff.

Nearly a week after the photographer was killed, Mexican President
Felipe Calderon announced Wednesday a plan to protect journalists in Mexico.

Journalists theoretically will now have immediate access to police
when threatened. The plan is based on a program in Colombia that
helped protect threatened journalists during the drug violence in that country.

Mr. Calderon agreed upon the new measures after meeting with the New
York-based- Committee to Protect Journalists and the Inter-American
Press Association.

The drug gangs are attacking people from many walks of life -- public
officials, police and ordinary citizens. Some 28,000 people have died
in the violence since the government declared war on drug gangs in 2006.

The escalating conflict has become a fight to restore law and order
and for the control of Mexico.