Emilio Goicoechea Luna, Ambassador to Canada
Embassy of the Republic of Mexico
45 O'Connor, Suite 1000
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 1A4

August 9, 2007

Excellency,

I am writing on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect press freedom and freedom of expression around the world.

CJFE is concerned for the safety of Alberto Fernández Portilla after learning he was shot and wounded on August 5, 2007.

According to Fernández, around 1:50am, as he was returning home from dinner, an identified individual approached him and said "Don't mess with our leader." The individual then proceeded to shoot Fernández five times, hitting him in the leg, arm and rib cage. He was immediately taken to a hospital and remains there as he recovers from his injuries.

Fernández is the news director at radio station XEFZ in Tehuantepec; a town close to his home in Salina Cruz. He is also the director of the Salina Cruz-based weekly El Seminario as well as a political columnist for the Salina Cruz daily El Sol del Istmo and the Juchitán daily El Sur. In recent months, he has been reporting extensively on corruption involving Mexico's state-owned oil and gas monopoly Pemex. According to Fernández, in late July, a reporter for El Seminario received a phone call threatening those reporting on Pemex-related corruption.

With nine journalists killed and three missing, Mexico had the worst record in the Americas in 2006 and was second only to Iraq for the number killed. Already two journalists have been killed in Mexico this year. Nevertheless, despite the establishment of a special federal court to punish physical attacks on the media, Mexico has failed to prosecute those responsible for such violence.

CJFE calls on the Mexican authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the attack on Fernández and ensure that those responsible for this, as well as all recent attacks on press freedom, are found and brought to justice.

We thank you for your attention and look forward to your reply.

Yours Sincerely,

Arnold Amber, CJFE President

c.c: Gaëtan Lavertu, Canadian Ambassador to Mexico
Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs