Journalists for a national newspaper said Wednesday they were threatened by armed men while doing an environmental story about a rock quarry on the outskirts of Mexico City.
Journalists for the newspaper El Universal reported that they were checking allegations of environmental damage at a tepetate rock quarry in Tecamac, near the famous Teotihuacan pyramids north of Mexico City.
According to the newspaper, a group of men showed up, one with a rifle, and forced the journalists to erase photos and videos of the quarry. The journalists were accompanied by members of a local community group, who were also threatened.
They said the assailants wore masks and one had a vest bearing the words “state police.” The assailants threatened to douse them with gasoline and set them afire.
The State of Mexico, where Tecamac is located, said it was investigating the incident.
Tepetate is a light rock that is widely used in central Mexico in construction, due to its light weight. However, huge amounts are needed and entire mountainsides have been trucked away, causing pollution, land degradation and erosion problems.
An unprecedented spate of eight killings so far this year has made Mexico the most deadly place in the world for the press.
Those killings, however, have almost always targeted local journalists in outlying states. Attacks on national media are rare.
