Journalists and activists killed in Mexico amidst widespread impunity

Introduction

In December 2023, the Office in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a report on good practices and challenges in investigating crimes committed against human rights defenders and journalists. According to the report, these groups face significant risks, including aggression in various forms, such as smear campaigns, threats, surveillance, harassment, disappearances and killings. The OHCHR in Mexico recorded at least 41 journalist killings, six media worker killings and 91 human rights defender killings potentially linked to their professional activities, as well as 13 disappearances between January 2019 and September 2023.

Impunity remains a critical issue, identified as a significant factor contributing to continued attacks on human rights defenders and journalists. The Attorney General of Mexico has acknowledged that approximately 99 per cent of these crimes remain unsolved. Among the 138 documented killings of defenders and journalists, nearly two-thirds of victims had previously reported incidents, with over 30 per cent lodging formal complaints that, based on available evidence, were inadequately addressed.

This situation suggests potential shortcomings by the state in preventing harm to those identified as vulnerable, as well as in fulfilling its duties to effectively investigate, prosecute and penalise aggressions.

Expression

Violence targeting journalists escalates

On 16th November 2023, photojournalist Ismael Villagomez, who worked for El Heraldo de Juarez, was shot dead in Ciudad Juarez while operating as a ride-share driver. His latest assignment for El Heraldo de Juárez, part of the Mexican Editorial Organization (OEM), involved coverage in Ahumada, a city 125 kilometres south of Ciudad Juarez. The journalist’s cell phone was missing, but his wallet remained untouched in the car. This evidence has fuelled speculation that the motive may not have been robbery, leaving open the question of whether his murder was connected to his work as a journalist.

On 19th November 2023, armed men abducted Marco Antonio Toledo, director of the weekly El Espectador in Taxco and correspondent for outlets like N3 Guerrero, La Crónica and Vespertino de Chilpancingo. Witnesses reported that at least five assailants forcibly entered his home, taking Toledo along with his wife and son. The armed group searched the house, destroyed the modem and confiscated mobile phones and two computers. Toledo, a political and security reporting specialist, recently faced threats. His recent article criticised Taxco’s municipal government for approving a 13-million-peso public works project that allegedly only benefited two people, specifically targeting Mayor Mario Figueroa Mundo.

Just three days after Toledo’s abduction, on 22nd November, journalists Silvia Arce and Alberto Sánchez, who run the digital media site RedSiete, were kidnapped near their office in central Taxco. Arce and Sánchez primarily report on local issues in Taxco and surrounding municipalities in northern Guerrero. Three days later, three journalists in Mexico were abducted in Taxco, a mountain town southwest of Mexico City, over the course of three days in November 2023. Article 19, a press freedom organisation, stated that “At least two witnesses told the organisation that the journalist had been a victim of threats and harassment in previous years.”

Five journalists were shot on 28th November while reporting on violent crime in Mexico’s southern states, a region infamous for gang violence and drug cartel activity. Two remain in critical condition. Four of the journalists were attacked while reporting on homicides occurring in Chilpancingo, the capital of Mexico’s southern state, Guerrero, and the fifth was reported in the neighbouring state, Michoacan. The shootings marked the most severe attack on journalists to occur in a single day in over a decade. According to local police authorities, the attacks are currently under investigation.

On 16th December 2023, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, unknown assailants fatally shot Mateo González Jiménez, director of the Christian indigenous radio station Maranatha, and his wife, Rocío López Pérez, within their home. The Chiapas State Attorney General’s Office has initiated an investigation, classifying the incident as a premeditated homicide. Local reports indicate that two men on motorcycles threatened the private security personnel guarding the street, disabled security cameras and then entered the couple’s residence, where they executed González Jiménez and his wife.

On 1st February 2024, unknown men attacked the vehicle of journalist Yolanda Caballero Jacobo in Tijuana, Baja California. While she reported on rain damage in the Loma Dorada neighbourhood, the attackers threw gasoline-filled bottles into her van, set it ablaze and fled the scene. Caballero Jacobo, a journalist with 14 years of experience in the border city, had recently posted a video on social media in which she denounced Tijuana’s Mayor Montserrat Caballero for making statements that placed her in a vulnerable position.

On 30th January, just days before the attack on her vehicle, Caballero Jacobo attended a public event at Tijuana City Hall, where a resident raised complaints about the poor conditions in his neighbourhood. In response, the mayor, Montserrat Caballero, directed a remark at the man, saying, “You come with Yolanda, what a pleasure!” Caballero Jacobo documented the incident, stating, “In a direct attack against me and my profession, the mayor blamed me publicly, exposing me and putting me in a position of vulnerability.” She characterised the mayor’s remark as an unprovoked attack that has led to an escalation in the threats she faces.

According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Mexico is one of the deadliest non-conflict countries in the world for journalists, and although the Mexican government offers protections—including bulletproof vests and bodyguards for threatened journalists—none of the three abducted journalists were under state protection.

Photojournalist arbitrarily detained by Mexico’s National Guard

On 11th January 2024, Mexico’s National Guard arbitrarily detained Jesús Aguilar, a photojournalist with Nómadas Press, while he documented a homicide in Tijuana, Baja California. Officers from the National Guard forcibly restrained Aguilar, throwing him to the ground, which damaged his camera lens and tripod.

After reaching an agreement with the officers, Aguilar regained his freedom. The officers committed to repairing his damaged equipment, while Aguilar agreed to cover the cost of a broken radio. Aguilar described how officers handcuffed him and noted that nearby Municipal Police observed without intervening. An investigative agent, recognising Aguilar, eventually stepped in.

In response, Tijuana’s press community and advocacy group Article 19 condemned Aguilar’s detention, calling it a breach of press freedom. Article 19 confirmed Aguilar’s release and pledged to monitor the case, aiming for a thorough investigation into violating Aguilar’s rights.

Security risks for journalists heighten after major government data breach

On 22nd January 2024, the personal information of at least 309 journalists was publicly accessible on a website after being leaked from an inactive government portal. The breach included sensitive personal information, such as full names, CURP codes (a unique identity number similar to a social security number) and personal identification documents like electoral cards, which often display home addresses.

Following the leak, the data was available publicly on a website until its removal later that day. It remains unclear how long the information was accessible and how many people might have accessed or downloaded it. Reporters whose data was compromised reported discovering the leak only after it was widely broadcast in national and international media, as the Mexican federal government reportedly did not promptly inform them. On 28th January 2024, Mexico’s National Institute for Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) announced an investigation into the incident.

According to Women Press Freedom, “The personal data leak has raised fears of potential identity theft and physical security threats, given that home addresses were among the stolen information. Journalists from leading media outlets, including La Jornada, El Universal, Expansion and Reuters, have been identified as victims.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) criticised the security lapses that led to the breach, emphasising the heightened risks for journalists in Mexico, where threats, intimidation and violence against media professionals are pervasive.

Journalist faces lawsuit for reporting on alleged corruption

On 22nd January 2024, Omar Terrazas, the spouse of Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama, filed a lawsuit against Jonathann Estrada, journalist and director of Channel/Contrapunto. The lawsuit accuses Estrada of causing “moral and economic damage” through his reports on alleged corruption involving a governor’s relative. In addition to the lawsuit, authorities reportedly issued a provisional measure that requests Estrada to refrain from publishing information about Governor Lezama.

Article 19 condemned this legal action, describing it as part of a broader pattern of judicial harassment targeting journalists in Mexico: “The lawsuit against Estrada aims to suppress critical reporting on matters of public interest, restricting freedom of expression and infringing upon citizens’ right to information.”

President of Mexico doxed journalist

On 22nd February 2024, President López Obrador, during a press briefing, publicy displayed and read aloud a letter from Natalie Kitroeff, the New York Times Bureau Chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. In doing so, he disclosed her personal phone number. Kitroeff's letter requested the president's response regarding an investigation into alleged financial links between individuals close to him and drug trafficking groups.

Subsequently, the Information Service of the Mexican state Public Broadcasting System released a video featuring a photograph of the journalist, accusing her of publishing articles “without evidence and lacking journalistic rigour.” When questioned about the appropriateness of his actions, President López Obrador did not acknowledge any overreach, instead asserting that his right to defend against perceived “slander” supersedes any privacy regulations. The National Institute of Transparency and Access to Information (INAI) announced an ex officio investigation, and YouTube removed the recording of the press conference alleging “harmful behaviour” such as “doxing.”

Press freedom organisations swiftly condemned the president’s actions, labelling them as retaliatory and potentially endangering Kitroeff’s safety. The New York Times criticised the incident, calling it a “troubling and unacceptable tactic from a world leader,” especially given rising threats against journalists. Women Press Freedom and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) similarly denounced the incident, stressing the significant security threats this exposure presents to Kitroeff, especially in a country where journalists frequently experience harassment and threats through messaging applications. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expressed concern over the Mexican government’s tolerance of actions that could incite hostility toward journalists.

In an open letter, 123 journalists, correspondents and journalism educators condemned President López Obrador’s actions, describing them as harassment against the New York Times’ chief correspondent following his disclosure of her personal information. The letter highlights a broader pattern of hostility toward journalists in Mexico, describing it as an “epidemic of violence” that has reportedly been mirrored at local levels.

The signatories to the letter urged both local and federal authorities to exercise their right of reply in ways that do not compromise journalists’ safety. They underscored the importance of adhering to the Federal Law on Data Protection, calling on public officials to respect journalists’ safety and privacy standards.

This incident is not isolated. In 2022, President López Obrador publicly disclosed journalist Carlos Loret de Mola’s income details following his critical reporting on the administration.

Ruling on gender-based political violence sparks debate on free speech

On 16th November 2023, the Specialised Regional Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judiciary (TEPJF) found political analyst Denise Dresser responsible for gender-based political violence against Deputy Andrea Chávez and imposed several sanctions. These included a fine of 20,748 pesos (USD 1,000), a public apology, completion of a gender rights course, publication of the ruling on Dresser’s social media and inclusion in the National Registry of Persons Sanctioned for Gender-Based Political Violence for 1.5 years.

The case originated from comments Dresser made on 15th August during the programme Mesa de Análisis con Loret on Latinus, where she addressed allegations that Chávez, a coordinator in Adán Augusto López’s MORENA presidential campaign, had misused public resources, specifically a military plane to transport family members. Dresser’s use of the term “lío de faldas” (suggesting romantic involvement) was interpreted as implying Chávez received preferential treatment. Chávez filed a complaint on 22nd August 2023, alleging that Dresser’s comments constituted gender-based political violence (VPEG).

Under the General Law of Electoral Institutions and Procedures, VPEG refers to actions or omissions based on gender that impair women’s political or electoral rights. According to experts, while the law is an important step in ensuring equitable political participation for women, this case raises questions about how such protections interact with freedom of expression, particularly concerning critiques of public figures.

Advocates of free speech, including Article 19, caution against using legal mechanisms to silence journalists and public commentators, noting a sharp rise in judicial harassment of journalists in Mexico. Some critics argued that Dresser’s remarks, while controversial, fall within the realm of public critique, which public figures are generally expected to endure. By treating Dresser’s comments as a form of gender-based violence, critics warned that the ruling could set a precedent for limiting public discourse on political matters.

Association

Activist shot dead in Leon

On 22nd November 2023, an unknown gunman murdered activist Adolfo Enriquez, who raised awareness over the murder rate in Leon, a town in north-central Mexico. A 17-year-old boy who accompanied him was also injured in the attack and taken to hospital. Enriquez rose to national attention after he posted a security camera video depicting the murder by stabbing of a woman in Leon in August, which pressured authorities to thoroughly investigate the case - ultimately leading to the arrest of the murderer in that case. Murders in Leon are not uncommon. The city has experienced turf battles between cartels and local gangs and has the third-highest homicide rate of any city in Mexico.

Environmental defender killed; leaders harassed

On 24th November 2023, Hirginio Trinidad de la Cruz, an environmental defender from the Nahua indigenous community in Ayotitlán, Jalisco, was forcibly disappeared after attending a meeting at the municipal office of Cuautitlán de García Barragán. His body, found the following day in the Sierra de Manantlán, showed signs of violence. Trinidad was an outspoken opponent of illegal mining and deforestation. Over the past decade, Trinidad had received several threats from organised crime groups and others involved in illegal logging and mining operations. He was a beneficiary of the federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists since April 2021.

Since then, the situation has escalated. On 15th January 2024, armed individuals fired shots outside his mother’s home. During Ayotitlán’s community patronal celebrations, held from 16th to 18th February 2024, a cartel leader known as “El Nene” publicly announced his presence, suggesting a possible non-intervention agreement with local authorities for the duration of the festivities.

This alarming situation led the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to grant precautionary measures to Santos Rosales Contreras and other members of the Nahua community in Ayotitlán. The IACHR’s decision reflected the serious risks faced by Nahua leaders, who actively defend their ancestral land against illegal mining activities. According to the IACHR, organised crime and other entities continue to subject the community to intimidation, threats and violence due to their ongoing territorial defence efforts.

Transgender rights activists killed

On 11th January 2024, Miriam Nohemí Ríos Ríos, a trans activist and municipal commissioner for the Movimiento Ciudadano party in Jacona, Michoacán, was fatally shot while at her business. Ríos Ríos was a well-known advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and led the collective “Respect and Gender Equality A.C.” Just three days later, on 14th January 2024, Samantha Carolina Gómez Fonseca, a trans activist and Senate candidate for the Morena party, was shot dead near Mexico City’s Reclusorio Sur prison. Fonseca had just visited her partner in the prison before the attack.

The murders of Fonseca and Ríos Ríos have ignited outrage among the LGBTQI+ community and human rights organisations, who are demanding thorough investigations that consider the possibility of hate crimes.

Kidnapping of search activist Lorenza Cano

Lorenza Cano, a member of the search collective Salamanca Unidos Buscando Desaparecidos in Guanajuato, was kidnapped on 15th January 2024 after armed men forcibly entered her home, killing her husband and son. Her whereabouts remain unknown, underscoring the heightened risks faced by those involved in the search for missing persons, especially in Guanajuato, a region marked by violence and impunity.

Cano joined the search collective in Salamanca to find her brother, who disappeared in 2018. Her kidnapping forms part of a disturbing trend of violence against search activists in Guanajuato, where four members of search collectives were murdered between 2020 and 2023.

Civil society urged state and federal authorities to take immediate steps to locate Cano, investigate the murders of her family members and implement a sustainable protection mechanism for those involved in similar efforts.

Two Indigenous activists sentenced

On 12th January 2024, the Control Court and Trial Court of the Ocosingo Judicial District sentenced Versaín Velasco García, a Tzotzil Maya Indigenous human rights defender, to 58 years in prison following homicide accusations. Velasco García has been actively advocating for human rights in the community of Nueva Palestina, Chiapas, where he has reported alleged abuses of authority and violence, including incidents of sexual abuse, human trafficking and killings. Due to his work, he has reportedly faced harassment and criminalisation.

Authorities detained Velasco García in January 2022 and he has remained in custody since then. On 31st August 2023, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) issued Recommendation No. 157/2023, which acknowledged human rights violations against Velasco García, his wife, two children and his sister.

In a separate case, on 7th February 2024, a Judge of Control in Salina Cruz sentenced David Hernández Salazar, an Indigenous rights defender, to 46 years and 6 months in prison. The sentence also included a fine of 182,818 pesos (US$ 10,880) and damages amounting to 1,100,015 pesos (US$ 65,471). The Municipality of San Blas Atempa initially brought the charges, later joined by the National Agrarian Register (RAN), alleging arson and malicious injury. Hernández Salazar’s conviction follows his involvement in protests opposing the “Polo de Desarrollo” project on Binniza Indigenous lands, part of the Inter-Oceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT).

As the Community Municipal Agent for the Binniza Indigenous Community of Puente Madera and a coordinator with the Assembly of Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defence of Land and Territory (APIIDTT) and the National Indigenous Congress (CNI), Hernández Salazar has actively opposed the CIIT project since 2017. His advocacy played a role in suspending the “Polo de Desarrollo” project in 2023. His activism has, however, led to repeated criminal charges and threats. In 2021, the Secretary of Communications and Transportation (SCT) and the Municipality of San Blas Atempa accused him of blocking roads during protests. Although authorities later dropped those charges, this new sentence appears to reflect a renewed effort to criminalise his activism.

The charges against Hernández Salazar have raised significant questions about the legal basis of the prosecution. Reports indicated that he was not present at the scene on the date of the alleged crime, as he was travelling to report harassment incidents against the Puente Madera community. Both the United Nations and various human rights organisations view the sentence as potentially conflicting with international human rights standards, expressing concerns about the adequacy of the legal basis for the charges.

Companies held accountable for worker rights by international trade agreement

On 11th December 2023, the United States and Mexico resolved a Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) petition under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement(USMCA), alleging that INISA2000, a denim garment facility in Aguascalientes, Mexico, had denied workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

To address these issues, the Mexican government collaborated with INISA2000, implementing a series of measures including a public commitment from INISA2000 to uphold employer neutrality regarding worker organising, the adoption of zero-tolerance policies to protect workers’ rights, and comprehensive training programmes for both workers and management to ensure thorough understanding and implementation of these new standards.

This case marks the first RRM invocation outside the automotive sector, demonstrating a commitment to supporting workers' rights across various sectors. The successful resolution involved collaboration between the Mexican government, INISA2000, and labour groups, culminating in the Course of Remediation concluded on 10th November 2023.

Peaceful Assembly

LGBTQI+ magistrate's murder sparks mourning and protests in Mexico City

On 13th November 2023, thousands of activists took to the streets of Mexico City to demand justice for Jesús Ociel Baena, Mexico’s first openly non-binary judicial official, and their partner, who were found dead in their home in Aguascalientes the previous day. The protesters marched through central avenues, raising banners and chanting slogans that condemned violence against LGBTQI+ individuals and called for accountability.

At the demonstration, protesters lit candles over pictures of Baena and other victims of LGBTQI+ violence in Mexico, chanting “Justice” and “We won’t stay silent” as they demanded the Mexican government investigate gender identity-related threats to the case thoroughly.

Women march against femicide

Thousands gathered in Mexico City on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25th November 2023, calling for greater action by the Mexican government to prevent the murder of women and girls on account of their gender. Several feminist groups organised the protest, where activists rallied and marched through the streets, holding pictures of slain women and written signs highlighting statistics and slogans on issues regarding violence against women and girls in Mexico.

In Mexico, 10 women per day fall victim to femicide and only 27 per cent of women’s deaths are classified or investigated correctly. Cases often remain unsolved due to lack of investigators. According to Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics, 41.8 per cent of women aged 15 years and older in the country reported having experienced some situation of violence in their childhood, with cases rising in recent years.

Migrants call for protections from targeted crime

On 8th November 2023, a group of 3,000 migrant protesters blocked a main southern highway in Mexico, demanding transit or exit visas from the Mexican government to assist them as they seek to migrate to the US. Many of the migrants originate from Central American countries and are afraid of kidnapping and targeting by cartels, extortionists and violent criminals who often exploit vulnerable migrants.

They decided to block the highway with the hopes the disruption will bring attention to their safety concerns and expedite action from the Mexican government. “We know we are causing discomfort for Mexicans, and we apologise,” said Irineo Mújica, a migrant and member of the protest. “But the drug cartels are kidnapping us, killing us.” Migrants en route to the US often lack official paperwork and are thus denied access to buses.

Mexico’s refugee agency said it does not issue transit visas and has previously dealt with similar demonstrations by waiting until the migrants tire and transporting them back to their country of origin.

Protesters break into regional congressional building

On 29th November 2023, protesters broke into the congress building of Mexico’s northern-most state, Nuevo Leon, after regional lawmakers appointed a controversial interim governor while current Governor Samuel Garcia took a leave of absence for his presidential campaign. Prior to his leave, Garcia expressed that he hoped a member of his political party, Citizen’s Movement, would take over as an interim governor. However, congress named Luis Enrique Orozco, who does not belong to Citizen’s Movement, and who Garcia has called unqualified for the position.

In response, protesters broke through a door to Nuevo Leon’s congress building, threw a smoke grenade and took over a floor chanting “Sell outs!” at the lawmakers. “Members of the public who were unhappy with the process carried out during the session broke into the floor to try to prevent it from being carried out,” the state congress said in a statement. “They attacked security personnel, advisers and even tossed a smoke bomb that filled the chamber.”

Pro-Palestine march in Mexico City calls to end of genocide

On 5th November 2023, thousands of pro-Palestinian activists marched in the streets of Mexico City , calling for an end to the “genocide against Palestinians” in Gaza, an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access to civilians in need and an end to Mexico’s support for the state of Israel.

Marchers flooded the city’s main square, Zocalo, and shouted slogans such as: “Netanyahu (Israeli prime minister), fascist. You are the terrorist”, “break, break ties with Israel” and ”It is not a war, it is a genocide.” The marchers painted a Palestinian flag on the National Palace - the seat of Mexico’s government - then lay down outside the building to represent the thousands of Palestinian civilians killed by the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.