Honduran journalist Jose Noel Canales was shot to death on his way to work on Friday (10 August). His body was found inside his pick-up truck.
Canales had worked for more than 12 years as journalist, monitoring national news for digital newspaper Hondudiario and news monitoring agency Seproc.
Over the past six months, there has been an escalation of violence against journalists in Honduras. Last week, I reported an attack on radio reporter José Encarnación Chinchilla Canales, which led him to seek asylum in the US.
It is believed that Canales was the 23rd journalist killed in Honduras in the past two years. It is currently considered the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists.
Honduras is ranked 135th (out of 179 countries) in the latest Reporters Without Borders press freedom index.
According to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, crimes against journalists continue to go unpunished in Honduras, despite its agreement to create special investigative bodies and protocols to respond to the attacks.
Sources: Freedom House/RSF In Spanish: Cuba Periodistas
