Political journalist Auro Ida, 53, was shot to death the morning of July 22 in front of his girlfriend’s house in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, G1 reports.
According to witnesses, the reporter was in his car with his partner when two individuals approached the couple, asked the woman to get out of the car, and then shot Ida six times, Mídia News explains.
While police say it was likely a crime of passion, Página Única reports that Ida had received death threats related to his journalistic work. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) called on the police to “not to rule out the possibility that he was murdered in connection with his work.”
The journalist founded Mídia News, was active in covering regional politics, and worked with with Olhar Direto news site. In the past, he worked for Jornal Gazeta newspaper and was the press secretary for the Cuiabá city council.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
