Mexican cartoonist "Rapé" in his studio, photo courtesy of the author.
Mexican cartoonist Rafael Pineda, Veracruz (1972), alias "Rapé" (Monero), has reported publicly announced that on Sunday he received death threats directed at him and his family.
"I am making it public, before anything else happens, that I received this threat to me and my family today via Facebook. This is the profile from which they have written to me"
The cartoonist of the daily Milenio and political satire magazine El Chamuco received response from the National Guard requesting more information on the matter and the support of numerous people, including many colleagues.
For the time being, the profile from which he received the threats is no longer available.
In an interview for Milenio Television, Rapé said he has decided to protect himself and his family, but has no intention of stopping drawing his daily cartoons. (Source)
"There are two things that anyone who finds themselves in this situation should do, which is to protect themselves, of course, and to protect my family, but I believe that this type of threat should not be allowed to pass, because we live in a country where what they say about a barking dog not biting is not entirely true".
It is no joke to take these matters lightly and even less so in certain countries, because, as Rapé rightly points out, belittling these threats, even when believing they come from supposedly "non-biting" dogs, can minimise a real danger and also encourages others to believe they are unpunished in order to spread hatred and fear.
Rafael Pineda "Rapé, ( Twitter - Facebook ) was First National Award for Faces of Discrimination "Gilberto Rincón Gallardo", Mexico, in 2011; Gabriel García Márquez Journalism Award, in the Image category. Colombia, 2017 and Premio Nacional de Periodismo, in the category Caricature and Humour, Mexico, 2016.
El humor en apuros, compilation of cases (III)
Cases of cartoonists who have had problems of some importance because of their cartoons or satirical illustrations. There are also some stories of other people who, without being cartoonists, have got into trouble for sharing them.
Related:
Practical guide to protecting editorial cartoonists
The cover illustration is by Cuban cartoonist ARES.
Produced in 2019 with the support of the European Union, designed for cartoonists and available on the web of Cartooning for Peace, this document, in english and French, brings together advice and information that can serve as a guide for those who face specific or persistent threats due to their profession.
It contains tips, testimonials and useful links. It focuses on both risk prevention and response to threats and attacks.
