Roberto Bernal Campos was a 35-year-old primary school teacher in Ciudad Ixtepec, located in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, and also a member of Section 22 of the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE).

He was arriving at the offices of the school district along with his colleague Vicente Toledo Martínez when two men began to shoot at the car in which they were driving. Vicente survived, but Roberto did not.

The next day, Section 22 of the SNTE demanded that the Attorney General of Oaxaca resolve the murders of 46 other teachers, which have been archived as cold cases. The union also demanded that the authorities find those responsible for Roberto’s death.

The spokesman for Section 22, Wilber Valdivieso Santiago, further stated that the degree of violence against the union has increased alarmingly in recent months. He added that ineffectiveness of the authorities to guarantee the safety of Oaxacans makes citizens hostages of crime.

Based on original reports by El Imparcial Oaxaca and Oro Radio