Journalists under siege

Oaxaca, Mexico

Armed picketers have been surrounding the offices of a newspaper in Mexico’s Oaxaca state for two weeks, forcing 31 employees inside to survive on canned food. The newspaper, Noticias, has been fiercely critical of the state government, and its employees voted against a strike called by a pro-government union, the Revolutionary Confederation of Workers and Peasants. Noticias director Ismael San Martín said powerful politicians sent the demonstrators to silence the newspaper. “They have shouted threats at us, they have fired shots in the air,” San Martín said. “The situation is pretty desperate.” Government officials said they had nothing to do with the standoff.