The Business of Killing: Assassinations in Mexico and South Africa

This session will look at the specific experiences of two countries where assassinations are particularly pervasive; Mexico and South Africa. Despite existing protection mechanisms, targeted killings continue unabated in Mexico, a country that has been considered one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, activists, and politicians for years. What occurs in Mexico is a systemic issue of collusion between organized crime, public authorities, and private sector interests, through active and passive collaboration with - or protection of - criminal actors. Similarly, in South Africa, assassinations have become a commodity where a market exists for targeted killings and a pool of hitmen is readily available to recruit. Assassinations have been weaponized to fuel interparty and intraparty tension in the political landscape in the country, to corrode the criminal justice system (through the assassination of whistleblowers, for instance) and to settle family, business and romantic disputes. After a brief introduction of trends in assassination in both countries, this session will consider the lived experiences of people who have become victims to assassination attempts, discuss challenges and best practices of investigating and reporting on assassinations, and provide insights into why protection mechanisms might not be working – and discuss some of the ways in which better protection could be provided.