Mexican reporter found dead with stab wounds amid escalating violence

A Mexican journalist was found dead with stab wounds on Saturday, authorities said, adding to a growing list of reporter deaths in one of the world’s most dangerous countries for the press.

The state of Mexico prosecutor said it was investigating the cause of death of Nevith N., 42, whose body was found in the Tejupilco municipality about 122 km from Mexico City.

Advocacy group Reporters Without Borders identified him as Nevith Condes Jaramillo, who ran the local news site El Observatorio del Sur in the central state of Mexico.

Condes had published stories that triggered tensions with the local government and he received threats in November and June, a Reporters Without Borders spokeswoman said, citing information obtained from Condes’ reporter colleagues.

The group has singled out Mexico as the most dangerous country for journalists in the Western Hemisphere.

If proven as a homicide, Condes’ death would bring the murder toll of Mexican journalists this year to at least 10 compared with nine last year, according to free-speech advocacy group Article 19.

Earlier this month, three reporters were killed in a single week, including one who had received threats.

Murders in Mexico jumped in the first half of the year to the highest on record, according to official data. The spiraling violence underscores the challenges President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has faced since taking office in December with a vow to reduce violence in the country ravaged by notorious drug cartels.