Journalists from the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juárez, the second-most dangerous city in the world, met with Senate candidate Javier Corral to demand a law that would offer employment protection and social assistance to journalists, and prohibit discriminatory practices, reported the newspaper El Mexicano.
The demand comes from the Journalists Association of Ciudad Juárez, which has criticized insurance companies and banks that refuse to sell life insurance to journalists who work in cities besieged by organized crime in Mexico, reported the newspaper El Financiero.
The president of the association, Jesús Meza Vega, said that since 2010, some insurance companies have refused to renew journalists' contracts while others imposed additional fees to provide coverage, according to El Informador.
Anonymous sources of the Mexican Association of Insurance Institutions said that for months now insurance companies have preferred not to cover risky professions in Mexico's northern cities, including Ciudad Juárez, Reynosa, and Torreón, reported the newspaper El Universal.
“We do not provide life insurance for pilots, police, and journalists,” said an insurance agent consulted by El Informador.
Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, with 70 killings in the last 10 years. See this Knight Center map about attacks against the Mexican press.
