Mexican officials say human rights monitor shot to death

MEXICO CITY – A human rights monitor and his son were shot to death in Mexico’s southern state of Guerrero, the fourth slaying of a rights activist in the country this year, authorities said Saturday.

Jesús Memije, who worked for the state Human Rights Commission, and his son were on their way to their home in the municipality of Coyoca de Benítez on the Pacific coast when they were killed Friday, the commission said.

State prosecutors did not provide details of the killing, but the commission urged investigators to focus on his work as a rights defender as a possible motive. Guerrero has high rates of violence linked to organized crime groups.

The office of Mexico’s national ombudsman previously reported the killings of three other human rights defenders so far in 2020.