Mexican reporter shot during university clashes in southern state of Oaxaca

Reporter wounded in university clashes in Mexico

OAXACA, Mexico — A Mexican reporter was shot and wounded Thursday during a clash between university students in southern Mexico.

Ixtli Martinez, who reports for The Associated Press and other media, said one of the students shot her in the leg at the Benito Juarez Autonomous University of Oaxaca in Oaxaca City.

Martinez spoke to AP Television News while she was being carried into an ambulance Thursday. Her family said she was hospitalized in stable condition.

The 34-year-old is a freelance contributor for AP. She was not working for AP during the clash.

The clash started when a group of students tried to remove other students who had seized a university building in protest of an administrative decision not to recognize their course work.

Martinez said she had been interviewing the students when a fist fight broke out between the two sides. As she tried to flee, she said one the students pointed a gun at her and fired.

The Oaxaca state government condemned the shooting in a statement and promised a thorough investigation.

Police spokesman Manuel Maldonado said 39 people were detained after the clash. He said he did not know if the shooter was among those in custody.

Human rights groups say Mexico is one of the world’s most dangerous countries for journalists.

Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission says at least 60 journalists have been killed in the country since 2000. Many of those are believed to have been victims of Mexico’s drug cartels.