Alejandro Zenon Fonseca wanted to do something about organized crime in his town of Villahermosa in the southern state of Tabasco, Mexico. While hanging posters denouncing the criminals on Tuesday, he was shot and killed.
The 32-year-old radio journalist had hosted a talk show, El Padrino Fonseca (the godfather Fonseca) for the last 10 years. He was known as a very charismatic man, who was also a social worker, mainly with young people. He had been campaigning against crime on his radio program for the past year and on Tuesday had called on radio listeners to march against the lack of security in his country. He asked them to demand peace and a halt to kidnappings and crime. About 100 people were demonstrating in the busy streets and hundreds had signed petitions of support.
As he was hanging banners, four men apparently tried to kidnap him. "They arrived in an SUV vehicle, got down and apparently wanted to kidnap him and they said: ‘Get down, get down,’” said an eyewitness. When he resisted, he was shot in the abdomen. He was taken to the hospital, but died on Wednesday, Sept. 24 from his wounds.
A Reuters reporter said an ambulance sent to assist Fonseca was held back by heavy traffic due to a car accident that knocked over power lines close to the scene of the crime.
Fonseca’s posters read, “No to Kidnappings,” while another declared support for Tabasco’s governor, Andrés Granier Melo. Another read, "God is larger than any judge and keeps his word. I give thanks to God because the battle will be long and hard but he will help us to be victorious."
"I liked (his work), mainly because of the values he taught because he mentioned them a lot. I’m an Ethics teacher and I liked the advice he gave to youngsters," said Professor Jeronimo Gonzalez, who attended a vigil for Fonseca.
There are no suspects in the killing.
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