Noted Satire Columnist Fatally Shot in Tijuana

Hector (Gato) Felix Miranda, a widely read local newspaper editor whose barbed columns often satirized Mexican government officials and others, was shot and killed here Wednesday as he drove his car to work, authorities said.

Felix, 47, one of Tijuana’s best-known citizens and a journalistic institution here, was hit by two shotgun blasts to his left side--one striking his neck and shoulder, the other his abdomen--shortly before 9 a.m., said Gustavo Romero Meza, commander of the Baja California state judicial police.

Authorities declined to speculate about a motive. There were no suspects and no witnesses.

“It could have been related to his work. It could have been related to his personal life,” Romero said.

But co-workers Wednesday had no doubt that the slaying was linked to Felix’s acerbic columns, which poked fun at everyone from the president to the man in the street. His column--Un Poco de Algo, or A Little of Something--appeared in each edition of the feisty weekly, Zeta, famous for its unforgiving attacks on corruption among the power elite in Mexico.

“I think this is definitely related to his work here,” said J. Jesus Blancornelas, Zeta’s co-editor.

But Blancornelas and other Zeta staffers declined to speculate on who may have been behind the slaying.

“That’s best left to the police,” said Blancornelas, who vowed to continue the newspaper’s muckraking style. “This is a great loss. But we cannot change our policies.”

Felix, a bachelor, was killed as he drove his late-model Ford in the Montebello neighborhood. He took the same route to work every day, at about the same time, co-workers said. Romero said there were probably two assailants--one driving a vehicle and the other firing the shotgun. “They were professionals,” Romero said of the attackers.

Felix’s death underscores the risks that independent journalists take in Mexico, where much of the press is controlled by government sources or exercises self-censorship in the face of official pressure.

More than two dozen Mexican journalists have been killed in the past 16 years. The killers are never brought to justice. Among the best-known victims was Manuel Buendia, former columnist for Excelsior, Mexico City’s leading daily, who was gunned down almost four years ago as he left his office.

“I suppose it’s one of the risks we take,” said Miguel Cervantes Sahagun, a Zeta reporter.

For years, devoted readers eagerly awaited Friday afternoon, Zeta’s publication date. They pored over Felix’s column, devouring the dozens of gossipy tidbits in each column.

Regular readers reveled in his unorthodox style, which was full of double meanings, nicknames, insider code words, a touch of vulgarity and other trademark devices. On a given day, Felix might mention a politician’s penchant for drinking and womanizing, a citizen’s request for help finding a lost wallet, and a meeting of a neighborhood club.

Most recently, Felix had been involved in an ongoing campaign in which he denounced various chilangos (migratory fish)--transplanted Mexico City residents who have arrived in Tijuana in large numbers in recent years, often taking prime government jobs. Tijuana residents often resent their presence--a sentiment shared by Felix.

Among Felix’s favorite targets were Baja California Gov. Xicotencatl Leyva Mortera and Tijuana Mayor Federico Valdes. He hounded both men mercilessly, depicting them as corrupt drunks.

“He never showed fear,” Blancornelas recalled. “He would say, ‘I have seven lives, like a cat.’ ”

His nickname, El Gato--The Cat--was an allusion to the U.S. cartoon character, Felix the Cat.

In a 1984 interview, Felix spoke of his unique style, which was often criticized in Mexico. He offered no apologies for publishing what often turned out to be rumors.

“I confess,” he said, “that at times I do it provoke a reaction from people, to create interest, to satisfy . . . people’s vanity, their curiosity about what bad words El Gato is going to write.”