A Mexican YouTuber, José Lápiz, known for his positions against the Church and in favor of the current government, has offered a monetary reward to kill Juan Espinoza, bishop of Aguascalientes. On his channel, which has over 620 thousand subscribers, the creator proposed a “reward” of 40 thousand pesos (equal to approximately 2 thousand euros or 2,200 dollars) for anyone who harmed the prelate.
The YouTuber against the bishop
The Aguascalientes Attorney General’s Office has opened an investigation into Lápiz. As explained in an interview by Attorney General Manuel Alonso García, the unit specialized in cybercrimes is analyzing all the contents posted by the YouTuber, who is said to have lashed out against Espinoza after the bishop’s criticism of the government: “They talk about freedom and plurality at a national level – the cleric had said -, but in fact anyone who thinks differently is threatened with prison”.
The creator’s message was also condemned by the Mexican Episcopal Conference (Cem): “Such acts – said the president, Ramón Castro – aim to intimidate and silence the social and moral voice of the Church”. The Activate platform, in addition to submitting a request to the prosecutor’s office to start investigations, requested protection for the bishop and the president of the CEM. Insults and heated tones are nothing new in the videos of José Lápiz, who in his contents defined the bishops as “damn mice in cassocks” and the high Catholic prelates as “a flock of sheep”. The man also warned that he would “continue to put a price on the heads” of Church leaders.
Prosecutor’s investigations
The prosecutor’s office said it considered Lápiz’s message a “serious threat.” After the alert arrived on October 1, when the YouTuber reshared some similar content, investigators identified the IP address from which the message originated, thus locating the device connected to the Internet from which it was published. “It’s not about the fact that this individual is directly carrying out an action – explained the prosecutor Alonso García -, but what he is inciting or provoking is that someone carries out an action. This is the most serious aspect”. Làpiz responded on social media, calling the prosecutor a “clown”.