A man, who claims to be the leader of one of the most powerful drug cartels in Mexico, demanded fair news coverage of a turf battle as he threatened to kill a reporter, BBC reported Wednesday.
A video showed heavily armed masked men surrounding a man seated at a desk who delivered a message he said was from Ruben Oseguera Cervantes, leader of the Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) cartel.
The man said Milenio Television was siding with so-called self-defense organizations formed to fight the Jalisco cartel. In the video, the cartel singled out and threatened female news anchor Azucena Uresti, the report said.
The cartel leader also threatened two other media groups -- Televisa and El Universal -- calling on them to provide "even" reporting of the Jalisco cartel's wars with other groups.
Uresti and Milenio Television did not immediately comment on the threat. Uresti is one of the most popular TV anchors in Mexico.
The cartel leader said he did not want to repress freedom of expression but just wanted the reporting to be balanced.
Groups representing media practitioners and journalists have come out to support Uresti and demanded the government offer her protection.
On Tuesday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador vowed to protect Uresti following the threat, Reuters reported.
Jesus Ramirez, a representative for Obrador, said on Twitter the Mexican government will carry out appropriate measures to ensure the safety of threatened journalists.
Threats against members of media organizations are not empty talk in the Latin American country.
The people who are usually threatened are local media members assigned to cover regions where rival criminal groups are fighting for dominion.
The threats must be taken seriously by the Mexican government, watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said.
Out of 180 nations in its World Press Freedom Index for 2021, Mexico is on the 143rd spot, RSF disclosed.
Mexico is the most dangerous country in the Western Hemisphere for reporters, according to The Committee to Protect Journalists (TCPJ).
According to German media outlet Deutsche Welle, more than 100 journalists and activists have been killed by cartel groups in Mexico since 2018.
Meanwhile, the U.S. is offering a $10 million bounty for any information that would lead to the capture of Cervantes.
