Who was Ernesto Mendez? Journalist among four killed in shooting outside Mexican bar

A shooting at a bar in Guanajuato, Mexico, on Tuesday, August 2, left three people dead, including journalist Ernesto Mendez. The killing has sparked outrage, as Mendez is one of 13 people in Mexican media murdered this year.

According to Reuters, Ernesto Mendez worked at the bar, which belonged to his family. He also operated local news outlet Tu Voz, which had received death threats in the past for its aggressive reporting on corruption and drug cartel activity.

As per Barron's, Mendez and his family were celebrating at the bar when the attack occurred. While authorities have not released the names of the victims, it is suspected that one of them was the bar owner.

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All that we know about Ernesto Mendez

Ernesto Mendez was a well-known member of the community who had developed a reputation not only for his bold journalistic work, but also for his position as a representative of local businesses, facilitating various fairs and events.

The town's Mayor, Luis Sanchez, said that it was not yet clear why Mendez had been targeted. However, according to Zona Franca, another outlet Mendez was affiliated with, the journalist had received death threats for his work in the past.

This was corroborated by Article 19, a human rights organization, which had considered Mendez vulnerable to attacks due to his confrontational journalistic style.

In an official statement, Article 19 alleged that the murder was carried out by a trained commando, implying that a sophisticated criminal organization may be behind the attack.

The Article 19 statement read:

"The crime was committed when an armed commando broke into a bar owned by the Mendez family."

In response to Mendez's death, Guanajato State Governor Diego Rodriguez made a statement on Twitter:

"We strongly condemn the crime in which businessman and journalist Ernesto Mendez and two other people unfortunately lost their lives."

The governor also noted another angle that may have led to the murder. He alleged that the bar Ernesto Mendez owned may have become the target of extortion or a competitive, business-related feud. He also stated that the killing may have been linked to Mendez's involvement in local state fairs, which often involve criminal elements due to the ease of gambling and money laundering at such events.

He added:

"We know that a lot of interest moves in the fairs of the municipalities, there are palenques, cockfights and things that will get complicated later."

The investigation into the shooting is currently ongoing. Authorities have not yet identified the suspects or discovered a clear motivation.