SENATOR SHAPLEIGH ON THE MURDER OF EL DIARIO REPORTER ARMANDO RODRIGUEZ
November 14, 2008
" Freedom and freedom of expression are not free. Rodriguez's life shows us all the high price of free press here on the border. We honor his life and work. Let us never forget his courage."
Written by Senator Eliot Shapleigh, www.shapleigh.org
EL PASO – Today, Senator Eliot Shapleigh (D-El Paso) issued the following statement on the murder of El Diario reporter Armando Rodriguez:
"Early this morning, El Diario de Juarez reporter Armando Rodriguez was shot to death outside of his home, shocking members of the journalism community. His murder is a brutal reminder of the increasing violence that has gripped our sister city and of the great courage it takes for media members like Rodriguez to cover this escalating war.
Rodriguez's coworkers and contemporaries recall him as an honest, dedicated and courageous man covering the front lines of Juarez's increasingly-ruthless drug cartel war. This year, the veteran crime reporter was the recipient of numerous death threats and, for his own safety, temporarily moved to El Paso before returning to his important work in Juarez.
Violence in Juarez has already claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people since January. This crime was perpetrated while Rodriquez's young daughter sat beside him in their car.
Freedom and freedom of expression are not free. Rodriguez's life shows us all the high price of free press here on the border. We honor his life and work. Let us never forget his courage."
Related Stories