Mexico, YouTuber offers reward to kill bishop Juan Espinoza

In Mexico, a YouTuber known for his anticlerical positions and support for the government offered a reward of 40,000 pesos (about $2,200) to "take out" Juan Espinoza, bishop of Aguascalientes.

The message was condemned by the Mexican Episcopal Conference (Cem). “Such acts aim to intimidate and silence the social and moral voice of the Church,” said its president, Ramón Castro.

The Actívate platform has submitted a request to the Attorney General to investigate the threats and assume responsibility for the case, while requesting protection for both the bishop and the president of the Cem.

The content creator - identified as José Lápiz, who has around 620,000 subscribers - launched the threat after the bishop had criticized the government for speaking about "freedom and plurality at a national level" while, in fact, he threatened to "imprison those who think differently".

Using vulgar language, the influencer called bishops "damn mice in cassocks" and said he was "laughing at the flock of sheep," referring to senior Catholic prelates. He also warned that he would "continue to put a price on the heads" of Church leaders.