Mexico news anchor, assassination bid and return to newsroom in a few hours

One of Mexico’s most prominent faces on television survived an assassination attempt in the capital Mexico City.

The attack on Ciro Gómez Leyva which took place near his home marks one of the most brazen attacks on a journalist Mexico has seen in decades. The country has seen a surge in attacks on journalists over the past few years under president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, popularly known as Amlo.

Ciro Gómez Leyva, a news anchor for the national news network Grupo Imagen, was driving a bulletproof SUV when a motorcycle pilot opened fire on him on Thursday night, Guardian reported. Ciro Gómez Leyva was not injured, but the attack highlighted a significant escalation of violence against Mexican journalists.

President Amlo condemned the attack on Ciro Gómez Leyva, saying, “He is a journalist, a human being, but also a leader of public opinion. Injuring a figure like Ciro creates a lot of political instability.”

Hours after surviving the assassination attempt, Ciro Gómez Leyva was back at work and broadcasted his usual news briefings on the Grupo Imagen news channel, Guardian reported as guests on his show admired his commitment and praised his courage.

According to the committee to protect journalists, 42 journalists have been killed during the first three years of Amlo’s presidency, compared to 45 during the entire six-year term of the last president, Enrique Peña Nieto.

Earlier, Rubén Espinoza, a photographer for Proceso Magazine, had fled the state of Veracruz to Mexico City after receiving death threats while covering corruption allegations against then-governor Javier Duarte. In 2015, he was shot dead in his apartment along with four other people.

In Mexico- considered one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist- until September this year, fifteen reporters have been murdered, according to the data compiled by Boston University Radio.