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Mexican Drug War

SLAYING PROMPTS PLAN TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS

Journalists try very hard, even in the face of danger, not to back down from reporting a story.

In parts of Mexico, that is a tall order.

Hence, El Diario de Juarez, the largest newspaper in Ciudad Juarez, has declared a truce of sorts after drug criminals killed its second employee in less than two years.

A new employee, Luis Carlos Santiago, 21, a photographer, was slain last week.  In 2008, a crime reporter from the same newspaper was slain by gunmen.  At least 22 Mexican journalists have been killed and seven others have vanished in the last four years, the Associated Press reported.  ADVERTISEMENT

A front-page editorial in El Diario de Juarez implored the cartels to say what they expected of the newspaper so it can continue reporting without further endangering its staff.

Nearly a week after the photographer was killed, Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced Wednesday a plan to protect journalists in Mexico.

Journalists theoretically will now have immediate access to police when threatened.  The plan is based on a program in Colombia that helped protect threatened journalists during the drug violence in that country.

Mr.  Calderon agreed upon the new measures after meeting with the New York-based- Committee to Protect Journalists and the Inter-American Press Association.

The drug gangs are attacking people from many walks of life -- public officials, police and ordinary citizens.  Some 28,000 people have died in the violence since the government declared war on drug gangs in 2006.

The escalating conflict has become a fight to restore law and order and for the control of Mexico.