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Journalists Killed in 2010 - Motive Unconfirmed: Hugo Alfredo Olivera Cartas

El Día de Michoacán, ADN
July 6, 2010, in Apatzingán, Mexico

Olivera, 27, owner and editor of the local newspaper El Día de Michoacán and a small local news agency called ADN, was found dead near the city of Apatzingán, Michoacán state. Unidentified assailants shot Olivera three times with a .32-caliber gun and left the reporter's body inside his truck, a spokesman at the state prosecutor's office told CPJ.

Olivera had been last seen around 9 p.m. on July 5 as he was leaving the paper's office to cover a suicide attempt, according to a relative who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity. Unidentified individuals ransacked the paper's offices early the morning of July 6, the Mexican news agency Quadratín reported, taking computer hard drives and flash drives.

Olivera was also a correspondent for the Morelia-based newspaper La Voz de Michoacán and a stringer for Quadratín. He reported mainly on crime in Apatzingán and the surrounding area, reporters at Quadratín and La Voz de Michoacán told CPJ.

In February, Olivera filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission alleging he had been beaten by federal police, CPJ research shows. The journalist had not reported threats before his death, a family member and local reporters told CPJ.

Michoacán Gov. Leonel Godoy said evidence indicated that Olivera's killing had been carried out by organized crime groups, the Mexico City-based daily La Jornada reported. But state prosecutor Jesús Montejano Ramírez said his office considered robbery to be the strongest motive, according to La Jornada. He reported no specific leads or suspects.

Motive Unconfirmed: CPJ is investigating to determine whether the death was work-related.

Topics: Freedom of expression,