Journalists targeted as Claudia Sheinbaum elected Mexico’s first female president; Protest for water rights turns deadly

Introduction

Claudia Sheinbaum wins Mexico's presidency amid rising political violence

On 2nd June 2024, Mexico held elections for over 20,000 federal and local positions, including the presidency. Claudia Sheinbaum, candidate for the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) founded by outgoing president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO), won the presidency with nearly 60 per cent of the vote. Morena’s sweeping victory cemented a substantial majority in Congress, positioning Sheinbaum’s administration with significant legislative power—just three Senate seats short of the two-thirds needed for constitutional amendments.

This win has sparked concerns about potential democratic backsliding, as AMLO’s tenure saw centralisation of power, weakened checks and balances and diminishing judicial autonomy. Civil society hopes Sheinbaum will not perpetuate this path of state capture and authoritarian governance. The newly elected president has promised a balanced agenda, with plans to promote an energy transition while maintaining fossil fuel support, including recent oil infrastructure investments.

The 2024 Mexican elections highlighted persistent challenges, notably a surge in political violence, making it the most violent electoral process since 2018. According to ACLED, attacks have intensified against local officials nationwide, reflecting the growing influence of criminal groups seeking to control political spheres. On election day alone, 56 violent incidents led to 11 deaths, mostly in Chiapas, where over 100 polling stations were closed for security reasons. This trend of violence, exacerbated by the targeting of mayors in Michoacán and Guerrero, poses significant challenges to governance and stability.

Unprecedented violence in Chiapas

The state of Chiapas is currently experiencing a significant surge in violence and forced displacement, with reports indicating that over 12,770 residents were affected in the first half of 2024 alone. This uptick in displacement is largely attributed to the intensifying conflicts between organised criminal groups, specifically due to the expansion of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) into territories traditionally controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel. The struggle for territorial dominance has led to violent confrontations with local armed groups and heightened civilian vulnerability. For instance, since 4th June 2024, human rights violations such as the burning of homes and vehicles, murders and rapes have been reported in Tila.

Civilians have been directly impacted by this conflict, frequently subjected to forced recruitment, intimidation and other forms of coercion by criminal organisations. On 31st July 2024, civil society organisations reported that civilians are being used as human shields during clashes and, in specific instances, forced to participate in activities benefiting these groups. More than 600 forced-displaced people have sought refuge in Guatemala.

More than 80 human rights organisations issued urgent appeals for governmental action to address the crisis, stressing the need to uphold the rights and safety of displaced persons. Recommendations included securing access to essential resources for affected populations, ensuring civilian protection and coordinating with Guatemalan authorities to establish safe return mechanisms.

Expression

Attacks on journalists

The recent attacks on journalists in Chiapas underscore the worsening security situation in the region (see introduction). On 28th June 2024, journalist Víctor Alfonso Culebro Morales, founder and editor of Realidades, was found dead on the side of a highway in Chiapas state. According to local news outlets, his body bore signs of restraint, including bound hands and a taped face, with a fatal gunshot wound. Authorities have commenced a homicide investigation but have not released additional details. No threats against Morales had been recorded by the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. His recent reports focused on security issues in Chiapas.

On 21st August 2024, Ariel Grajales Rodas, a journalist and director of the news portal Villaflores.com.mx, sustained injuries following an armed assault at his residence in the Esquipulas neighbourhood of Villaflores, Chiapas. The assault occurred when several armed men entered Grajales Rodas’ residence and fired multiple shots, resulting in injuries. His family members immediately transported him to a nearby medical facility, where his condition was reported as stable.

In a separate case on 4th August 2024, Alejandro Martínez Noguez, a crime reporter known for covering gang-related violence in Celaya, Guanajuato, was fatally shot while inside a vehicle with his police-assigned bodyguards. Operating under the alias “El Hijo del Llanero Solitito,” Martínez managed a widely followed Facebook page focusing on crime in the region. Celaya, a city marked by violent conflicts between drug cartels, has witnessed multiple journalist deaths in recent years. Martínez, who had previously been targeted, was under state protection.

UNESCO and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the killings, urging Mexican authorities to conduct thorough investigations and ensure accountability. Additionally, the Advisory Council of the Mexican Mechanism for the Protection of Journalists demanded a review of the security failures that contributed to Martínez’s death.

In July 2024, at least two journalists were shot over a span of two days. On 16th July, unidentified assailants fired shots at the residence of César Guzmán, director of the digital news outlet Código Rojo Cancún, based in Quintana Roo state. Guzmán was present at the scene but remained unharmed. He has been enrolled in Mexico’s Journalist Protection Mechanism for six years, following an attempted assassination in 2019. Guzmán informed Infobae that he believed the attack might be connected to an interview he conducted with an person associated with the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación.

On the following day, journalist Federico Hans, director of Art. 7mo El Observador, sustained injuries after being shot in the back by unidentified assailants in Caborca, Sonora. Hans was struck by three bullets and is reported to be in a stable condition hospital. Art. 7mo El Observador covers crime-related news in Caborca and surrounding areas, with a substantial social media following of approximately 145,000 on Facebook.

Journalists in Mexico face heightened risks, particularly when reporting on organised crime, corruption and human rights violations. Investigative journalism on sensitive issues—ranging from cartel-related violence to political misconduct—frequently exposes journalists to significant threats, as criminal organisations often exert influence over local authorities, and cases of journalist killings frequently remain unresolved.

While approximately 650 journalists are registered in the government’s Protection Mechanism, security measures—such as panic buttons, CCTV and police escorts—have proven insufficient. High-profile incidents, including Martínez's case, reveal critical weaknesses in these protections, often leaving journalists vulnerable even after threats have been reported. Human rights organisations and affected families continue to call for more robust, enforceable protections and greater accountability from authorities, as legal actions tend to focus on perpetrators rather than those orchestrating the attacks.

A year in review: 561 violent incidents against the press documented

The 2023 report by Article 19 Mexico and Central America outlined the violence faced by journalists in Mexico, aiming to inform electoral candidates and policymakers to foster public policies that address press freedom issues. Throughout 2023, 561 attacks on journalists and media outlets were recorded, averaging one assault every 16 hours.

High-profile cases include the disappearance of Juan Carlos Hinojosa Viveros in Veracruz and the murders of five journalists suspected to be linked to their work. Although there was a 19.40 per cent decrease in incidents from 2022, the situation remains severe, with violence persisting under President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's administration at a higher rate than under previous leaders. During his six-year term, at least 46 journalists were murdered and four have been reported missing.

Association

Arbitrary detention of Indigenous activist

On 5th June 2024, María de la Cruz, an environmental and Indigenous rights defender and member of the Ocumicho Communal Council in Michoacán, was reportedly arbitrarily detained by Michoacán law enforcement on the Morelia–Zamora federal road near Carapan and subsequently transferred to the Uruapan prison centre without an official explanation for the detention.

The following day, the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán issued a statement on Facebook: “We denounce the harassment that the state systematically applies against activists, particularly our colleague Maria Cruz Paz Zamora, who currently serves on the Municipal Government Council of the Autonomous Community of Ocumicho as an ecology and environment advisor. She is also a delegate of the Indigenous National Congress and the Supreme Indigenous Council of Michoacán.”

Peace Brigades International (PBI) Mexico expressed concern over her detention and urged authorities to ensure her protection and safety.

Threats and harassment against Triqui Indigenous leader

On 1st August 2024, two unidentified men drove up to an assembly of social organisations where Indigenous community members had gathered. The men brandished two firearms before approaching a relative of Bonifacio Martínez. In a low voice, one of them reportedly said, “You are very beautiful; it’s good that you will soon be widowed.”

The Zeferino Ladrillero Human Rights Centre has reported intensified death threats and harassment against Bonifacio Martínez and other Triqui Indigenous leaders in San Quintín, Baja California. Martínez, a prominent Triqui defender, has long advocated for the rights of displaced persons from Tierra Blanca, as well as opposing the exploitation of agricultural workers and the sexual harassment of female workers. He has also led the 17 de Marzo taxi collective.

Tragically, on 21st July 2024, Martínez’s brother, Eugenio Martínez Cruz, was killed in an armed attack at Bonifacio’s home in San Quintín’s Las Misiones neighbourhood, which also left two of Martínez’s nephews injured.

Civil organisations strongly called on government authorities at all levels to protect Indigenous leaders in the region.

Nahua leader’s conviction upheld

On 9th July 2024, the conviction of Saúl Rosales Meléndez, a Nahua Indigenous leader and human rights defender, was upheld following an appeal by his legal team in April 2024. Rosales Meléndez was found guilty of a murder allegedly committed on 15th April 2022. He has been detained since 14th July 2022. His conviction is reportedly tied to the authorities’ failure to investigate a series of lynchings in the region, allegedly used as retaliation for his environmental advocacy.

Rosales Meléndez has actively led efforts to protect the Matlalcueyetl (La Malinche) mountain forest from environmental damage linked to extractive activities conducted without community consent.

The court’s reasoning for his sentence relied on negative stereotypes associated with his role as community president, attributing the crime to customary practices.

Authorities withdraw charges against environmental defenders in Colonia Maya

On 17th May 2024, the District Prosecutor’s Office in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, discontinued criminal proceedings against land, territory, and environmental defenders from Colonia Maya who had opposed the construction of a housing development in an area designated for ecological conservation. The accused defenders, members of Colonia Maya’s governing committee, faced charges of illegal deprivation of liberty.

Community leaders Elizabeth, Eustacio, Lucero, Martín and Miguel Ángel led the campaign against the development, which involved the felling of approximately 100 trees. This deforestation altered the local environment, reportedly contributing to rainwater-related flooding and damage. Additionally, construction commenced without environmental and social impact assessments.

The case, which extended over seven years, lacked substantive evidence, imposing considerable physical, psychological, and financial strain on the defendants since arrest warrants were issued in 2017.

The legal actions generated fear within the Colonia Maya community, discouraging their advocacy for environmental protection. Amnesty International documented this case in its 2023 report, Mexico: “Land and Liberty? Criminalisation of Land, Territory, and Environmental Defenders, highlighting the alleged misuse of criminal law by Mexican authorities to hinder the efforts of defenders.”

The civil organisation Otros Mundos Chiapas congratulated the Somos la Maya collective and the Colonia Maya community for their solidarity and resilience. In recognition of their efforts, the collective received the 4th Mariano Abarca Environmental Defence Prize in Chiapas in 2022, marking the first time it was awarded to an urban collective.

Peaceful Assembly

Protesters in Cuenca Libres-Oriental fight for water rights

On 20th June 2024, residents from multiple communities in the Cuenca Libres-Oriental region peacefully protested near the Granjas Carroll facilities after exhausting institutional avenues to address their concerns. At noon, state security forces from Veracruz arrived at the protest site. According to reports, security personnel allegedly opened fire on the protesters without prior negotiation, resulting in the deaths of two young men and their father—local farmers advocating for their rights to a healthy environment, work, water access and food.

Eyewitnesses reported that during the operation, numerous protesters were physically assaulted and several sustained gunshot wounds. State police, alongside men in civilian clothing, allegedly pursued protesters to their homes, where further violence reportedly occurred. An unspecified number of protesters remain unaccounted for and detained by Veracruz security forces.

The incident took place amid peaceful protests led by the Movement in Defence of Water in Cuenca Libres-Oriental, following several demonstrations and two negotiation meetings with authorities regarding issues related to Granjas Carroll, a pig farming subsidiary of Smithfield, part of the WH Group.

Civil society organisations issued a joint statement condemning the repression of communities defending their territory and calling for a thorough investigation to trace the command chain and identify those responsible.