Mexican Officials Vow Thorough Probe Into Slaying of Columnist

Mexican authorities pledged a thorough and impartial investigation Thursday into the killing of Hector (Gato) Felix Miranda, the well-known newspaper columnist and editor who was gunned down Wednesday as he drove to his job. But officials said there were no strong leads in the case.

Meanwhile, Tijuana began mourning the loss of one of its best-known characters, a man who was both loved and despised--but whose satirical, chatty, irreverent column was must reading for a wide spectrum of the population, both admirers and detractors.

“We’re putting all our efforts into the investigation,” said Jorge Medina Ibanez, a supervisory agent in the Baja California state attorney general’s office.

Shock Waves in City

The slaying has sent shock waves through this border city and throughout the state of Baja California.

Observers speculated about the motive for the killing, most viewing the act as revenge by one of Felix’s many targets--perhaps one of the powerful politicians whom the columnist was fond of lampooning.

J. Jesus Blancornelas, co-editor and co-founder with Felix of the firebrand weekly Zeta, called the killing an act of “vengeance,” with possible political overtones. Despite the slaying, Blancornelas vowed in a statement that Zeta, with a circulation of 60,000, will continue its muckraking style, not flinching from its attacks on corruption and government officials.

“Zeta will not stop publishing,” said Blancornelas, who added that Felix’s name will remain on the masthead.

On Thursday evening, more than 500 hundred angry protesters marched through downtown to express their outrage at Felix’s slaying, many shouting slogans and charging that government officials, specifically Baja California Gov. Xicotencatl Leyva Mortera, were behind the killing. At a rally held afterward on the street outside the funeral home that handled the Felix funeral, protesters called on Leyva to resign.

One protest banner read: “Tijuana, Pueblo Sin Ley (Town Without Law).”

Leyva, one of Felix’s most frequent targets, issued a statement saying he repudiated such violence, and vowed a thorough investigation. The governor is also offering a reward of 100 million pesos--about $45,000--for information leading to the arrest and capture of the assailant or assailants.

Fellow journalists and newspapers also condemned the slaying and called on the government, including President Miguel de la Madrid, to assist in bringing the killer or killers to justice.

“Although we don’t agree with the editorial policy of Zeta,” the government-linked daily El Mexicano said in a front-page editorial, “we also do not tolerate . . . paid assassins, who come to murder journalists or private citizens.”

At Odds With Government

Blancornelas, who has long been at odds with the state government here, called on the governor to place all available resources behind the investigation. Only a few weeks ago, Blancornelas noted, Leyva boasted about liberty of expression and freedom of the press in Baja California.

“It is he (the governor) and no one else who must confirm his words with deeds,” said Blancornelas.

The editor expressed some skepticism about the ability of Baja California state authorities. The same investigators, he noted, had yet to determine who machine-gunned his offices a year ago. (No one was hurt in that incident.)

In fact, the killers of more than two dozen Mexican journalists slain in the last 16 years remain unknown. Authorities traditionally pledge intensive investigations.

No Witnesses

In the case of Felix, a 47-year-old bachelor, authorities said there were no direct witnesses. A coffee-colored pickup truck seen leaving the scene may have been involved, according to officials, who said that police had been watching airports, roads and other possible exits from the Tijuana area for signs of suspects.

As for motive, Medina said investigators are examining all possibilities, including a possible link between Felix’s death and the many provocative items that have appeared in his column. Robbery has been ruled out, as no effort was made to steal Felix’s wallet or other valuables, authorities said.

The slaying, which occurred shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday, was apparently the work of professional killers who waited for Felix as he drove to work along his usual route. Felix was hit by two shotgun blasts as he drove his car; he died almost instantaneously, authorities said.