Mexican journalist Ariel Grajales shot several times in home in Chiapas

Mexico City, August 22, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Mexican authorities to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the shooting of Ariel Grajales Rodas and to take measures to ensure his safety and that of his family.

Grajales, editor of the news website Villaflores.com.mx, was shot multiple times by unknown gunmen who entered his home in Villaflores, in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, just after midnight on August 21, according to news reports and a statement from the Chiapas Public Prosecutor’s Office (FGE). Grajales was taken to a hospital where he is in stable condition, the statement said.

“Even in a country plagued by violence and impunity, the attack on Ariel Grajales is shocking in its brutality,” said CPJ’s Mexican delegate Jan-Albert Hootsen. “Authorities in Chiapas must take all appropriate steps to help him ensure the safety of his family and hold all those responsible to account.”

Grajales is a news reporter with more than 30 years of experience, said Gabriela Coutiño, a journalist from Chiapas and a close friend of Grajales, who spoke to CPJ after the August 21 shooting.

Grajales’ Villafores.com.mx mainly reports on local news, including local politics and crime and safety in the area. A few hours before the attack, the journalist posted a short message on his Facebook page about businesses in the area being extorted by criminal gangs.

The FGE said in its statement that it has opened an investigation into Grajales’ shooting, but about a possible motive. Multiple calls from CPJ to the FGE went unanswered.

An official with the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, which provides federally approved protection to journalists, told CPJ via WhatsApp on August 21 that the office is working to provide protection to Grajales and his family. The spokesperson requested anonymity as he is not authorized to comment.