Mexican vigilante group threatens reporter, activist

MEXICO CITY – An armed vigilante group in southern Mexico has threatened a well-known human rights activist and a journalist, saying the two would be abducted and subjected to “re-education.”

Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission condemned the threats and said protection should be provided for rights activist Manuel Olivares.

The vigilante group operates in the mountains of the southern state of Guerrero and has bragged in the past about employing professional hitmen.

Olivares has been active in seeking justice for residents of mountain towns who were forced to flee their homes due to fighting between vigilante groups. Many of the groups call themselves “community police,” but in fact have links to drug gangs.

The group that threatened Olivares is the United Front of Community Police of Guerrero State, and it claimed in a statement that Olivares and journalist Ezequiel Flores were allied with the group’s enemies, who it claims operate a drug gang.

While it said the rivals would be “pursued and exterminated,” it said the activist and journalist would be “detained,” re-educated “based on custom and tradition” and presented to the media.

Flores works for the news magazine Proceso. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Mexican authorities to protect Flores, as well.