Opinion: Justice for slain Tijuana journalist Margarito Martínez Esquivel must be a priority

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The fatal shooting Monday of Tijuana photojournalist Margarito Martínez Esquivel as he left his home to go to work is a wrenching reminder of how dangerous it is to be a member of the media in parts of the world, especially Mexico. At least 45 journalists have been killed in Mexico since late 2018, eight — more than any other country — last year alone. The motive for the attack is not yet known, and Tijuana averages 160 homicides a month, with more than 70 people killed there so far this month. But Martínez, who covered crime and security, reported last month that he had been the target of online threats for allegedly identifying organized crime figures with postings on social media. The gun he was shot with — once in the head and twice in the chest — had been used in five other violent crimes in the Sanchez Taboada area of Tijuana since 2020.

In the days since his killing, a Gofundme account set up to support Martínez’s family has raised more than $15,000. The probe of his death appears to be active and vigorous, which is reassuring given that last month, Alejandro Encinas — a senior government human rights official in Mexico City — said that 90 percent of crimes against activists and journalists go unpunished in Mexico. Hopefully, more will be known about this heinous crime soon.

Martínez “rushed to homicide scenes at all hours of the day and night” and “somehow always managed to stay positive even when he was covering the most gruesome of crimes,” journalist Sandra Dibble wrote on the Gofundme page. Peers like him deserve praise for their commitment and their courage.