Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui in a Feb. 9, 2011 file photo.
MEXICO CITY – The crusading host of Mexico's top-rated national news radio program has been fired in a case that many fear is a blow to freedom of expression.
MVS Radio said Sunday that they would not accept Carmen Aristegui's demands that it reinstate two journalists from her team fired last Thursday.
“We lament (Aristegui’s) position, but as a company we can’t accept conditions and ultimatums from people who work with us,” MVS Radio said.
Daniel Lizárraga and Irving Huerta were fired last week after they joined other Mexican media outlets and civic groups to launch a website, MexicoLeaks, a digital platform to receive leaks that could lead to corruption investigations.
The MexicoLeaks website lists Aristegui Unit/MVS as one of the sponsors, according to the Wall Street Journal.
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Aristegui is one of the country’s leading journalists whose investigative team broke an alleged conflict of interest story involving the acquisition of a mansion by the wife of President Enrique Peña Nieto.
Investigations and critical commentary on Aristegui's program had made it enormously popular and her ouster prompted a wave of protest. The top trend on Twitter in Mexico on Monday was a series of messages calling for support of the journalist.
Several leading analysts said they would break their relationship with the broadcasting company.
"MVS terminates its relationship with Carmen Aristegui. I terminate my relationship with MVS," said politician analyst Denise Dresser.
"Carmen Aristegui is an indispensable voice in our public life," said one of Mexico's leading historians, Enrique Krauze, on his Twitter account. "Her departure from MVS seriously injures freedom of expression in Mexico."
Aristegui continues to have a daily program on CNN's Spanish-language service.
The AP contributed to this report.
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