User:Gonzalez.by/Censorship in Mexico

Censorship in Mexico includes all types of suppression of free speech in Mexico. This includes all efforts to destroy or obscure information and access to it spanning from the nation's colonial Spanish roots to the present. In 2016, Reporters Without Borders ranked Mexico 149 out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index, declaring Mexico to be “the world's most dangerous country for journalists.” Additionally, in 2010 the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that Mexico was "one of the worst nations in solving crimes against journalists." Under the current Mexican Constitution, both freedom of information and expression are to be protected under the legislation from Article 6, which states that "the expression of ideas shall not be subject to any judicial or administrative investigation, unless it offends good morals, infringes the rights of others, incites to crime, or disturbs the public order," and Article 7 which guarantees that "freedom of writing and publishing writings on any subject is inviolable. No law or authority may establish censorship, require bonds from authors or printers, or restrict the freedom of printing, which shall be limited only by the respect due to private life, morals, and public peace." Mexico is currently a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which gives them the responsibility to uphold these established laws regarding freedom of expression.

Government corruption found within Mexico has been linked with the killing of journalists. Many deaths since the beginning of the Mexican Drug War have been linked to drug cartels and government officials connected to cartels since 2000. Different administrations have attempted different policies, but the issues of corruption have prevented widespread success of these policies. Mexico is consistently graded low in their corruption and safety for journalists. Transparency International gave Mexico a 31/100, ranking it at 126 out of 180 countries that were graded.

Attacks and threats against journalists

The dangers posed to journalists in Mexico have been an ongoing issue since the Mexican Revolution, but in more recent times the crimes against journalists include attacks, kidnappings, being forced into exile and murder. In August 2016, Reporters Without Borders wrote that Veracruz was "one of the most dangerous states in Mexico for journalists," while also reporting that "176 cases of violence, intimidation, threats, aggression, cyber-attacks, blackmail, murder and enforced disappearance in which journalists were the victims from 2013 to June 2016."

The Mexican Drug War has been a major source of conflict between drug cartels, the government, and journalists in Mexico. Throughout the war, each administration differed in their approach to the war. Threats and attacks against journalists have however remained consistent. Enrique Peña Nieto’s administration focused on social and economic progress for citizens rather than using military force. However, success was limited due to issues of corruption within the government. Drug cartels have influence in many regions of Mexico. As a result, individuals with connections to the cartel have also been employed with the Mexican government. These individuals act in the interest of the cartel either for financial gain or to avoid danger. Government officials acting in the interests of the cartel have impeded the success of any administration’s policies, and Peña Nieto’s approach was no different.

Many of the threats journalists have faced stem from reporting on such government corruption. This issue has led to incidents occurring as recently as the Lopez Obrador Administration. In August 2022, Fredíd Roman was killed hours after posting an article. In this article, he discusses Desaparición forzada de Iguala de 2014 and the role that the Mexican government played in the disappearances. Such acts of violence have happened as a result of government corruption. Drug cartels will retaliate with violence against journalists who speak out. Speaking out against certain government officials or agencies has since caused retaliation from drug cartels as well.

The Organization of American States (OAS) claims to uphold the principles that believe “the murder, kidnapping, intimidation of and threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violates the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation.”

Government Policy and Corruption

In a 2010 issue for the Committee to Protect Journalists, they describe the criminal justice system in Mexico as failing journalists from being unable to "successfully prosecute more than 90 percent of press-related crimes over the past decade."

The Mexican government established the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists in 2012. The mechanism was designed to support journalists under threat and ensure their safety. However, it has been criticized for its lack of resources, slow response times, and failure to address the root causes of violence against journalists. In many cases, journalists who receive protection from the government are still exposed to danger because the cartels and corrupt officials are able to bypass the system or retaliate against journalists.  Miroslava Breach, was a journalist who covered corruption and organized crime in the state of Chihuahua, was killed outside her residence. Investigations subsequently showed that the assassins received information from a local mayor.

International Perspective

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an international nonprofit organization that advocates for press freedom, has consistently reported on the limitations of this program, noting that many journalists who request protection continue to face violence, including murder. Local law enforcement throughout Mexico has also been linked with Mexican cartels and supporting their operations. Looking at the case of Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, a well-known investigator of political corruption, was shot outside her Tijuana home. She had openly raised concerns about her life during legal proceedings with a prior governor, illustrating the lack of protections even for people covered by government safety programs. Proving that Mexico has developed a double standard in which they are portraying as a responsible nation that has taken into account the right of freedom of the press when the nation is witnessing a completely different reality. Furthermore, the case of Fredíd Roman, a journalist who was killed outside of his home. This came shortly after he published an article highlighting a government official’s potential involvement in the disappearance of college students.

In Mexico, organized crime and government threats drive violence against journalists, which restricts press freedom and encourages self-censorship. Mexico is among the deadliest countries for media professionals, with 67 journalists slain in 2022 alone. This is indicative of a larger pattern of violence that compromises the efficacy of the government's protection mechanism for journalists and human rights defenders.

Mexico's position on global press freedom indices reflects the country’s challenges in protecting journalists. Reports from the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, and other organizations consistently rank Mexico as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. In 2022, Mexico was ranked as the deadliest country for journalists in the Americas, surpassing conflict zones like Colombia and Honduras.

Mexico’s poor performance on these indices is a direct result of the combination of criminal violence, political corruption, and the lack of effective legal and institutional responses. In July 2023, Luis Martin Sanchez Iñiguez, a journalist for the daily La Jornada, was discovered dead in Nayarit. His coverage of organized crime and corruption in the area is connected to his death. Days before his death was discovered, he was kidnapped, which raises questions about the impunity of crimes against journalists.