Article 19 report: 664 documented attacks against journalists in Mexico in 2021

Photo: In January, PBI-Mexico accompanied solidarity protests in Mexico City and Chihuahua City for murdered journalists.

The Guardian reports: “Attacks against the press in Mexico have increased by 85% since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office, making it the most deadly period for journalists since records began, according to a new report.”

That article adds:

“Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists with 1,945 attacks – including 33 murders – between 2019 and 2021, according to the press freedom group Article 19. Another eight have been killed so far this year.

In 2021, there were 664 documented attacks – the equivalent of one every 14 hours – including online threats, harassment, arbitrary criminal charges and seven murders. Government officials were linked to 274 of the incidents, while organised crime accounted for about 42.

Nineteen journalists were murdered during the first three years of Enrique Peña Nieto’s government, and 26 under Felipe Calderón over the same time period.

But López Obrador is the first to vilify journalists so consistently. In 2021, the president and his officials maligned the press at least 71 times, and the same insults were often repeated by private and public figures the same day, according to the report.”

Protection mechanism for journalists

The Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project has previously explained that a Protection Mechanism was created for journalists in Autumn 2010.

Later, the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists was implemented in June 2012. That law obliges both federal and state authorities to protect the rights of journalists and human rights defenders.

In March 2020, PBI-Mexico commented “the Mechanism continues to demonstrate notable deficiencies and concerning failures.”

The year before that, PBI also highlighted: “The Mechanism can’t possibly address its shortcomings with its current budget and staffing levels. Providing additional funding would be the first step the Mexican government can take to ensure the Mechanism has the resources necessary to manage its rapidly growing caseload.”

For more, please see the report Turning the Tide on Impunity: Protection and Access to Justice for Journalists and Human Rights Defenders in Mexico.

#NoSeMataLaVerdad

“The truth is not killed by killing journalists”

Photo: In February, PBI-Mexico accompanied organizations in Oaxaca at the 2nd Regional Forum for the discussion around the initiative of the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.