Mexican journalist Jamie Barrera found alive following abduction

Mexican journalist Jaime Barrera, known for his roles as the host of a news program on local TV channel Televisa Guadalajara and as a commentator on a political opinion program, was released after being abducted earlier this week, his daughter announced Wednesday. Barrera, 56 years old, was kidnapped on Monday afternoon in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, where he works.

Barrera recounted his experience, stating that his captors physically abused him and aimed to intimidate him due to his journalistic work. The assailants interrogated Barrera about his reporting, particularly regarding drug cartel violence in Jalisco. Barrera later expressed relief that his abduction concluded without major harm.

Authorities confirmed Barrera’s release on Wednesday, with the circumstances surrounding it remaining unclear. The incident has prompted the authorities to launch an investigation to identify those responsible for the abduction. Additionally, Barrera’s case has garnered attention nationally, given his daughter’s affiliation with the leadership council of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s Morena party.

This incident coincides with another high-profile disappearance in Mexico, as federal investigators were reported missing in Guerrero while probing the decade-old case of 43 missing students.

According to a Reporters Without Borders report, over 150 media professionals have been murdered in Mexico since 2000.

https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/03/mexican-journalist-jamie-barrera-found-alive-following-abduction/