The leadership of one of Mexico’s most violent cartels issued a direct threat to a national news anchor, claiming her coverage favored their rivals. The journalist responded, saying she will continue doing her job without self-censorship.
In a video shared widely on social media in Mexico, a masked man claiming to be Ruben “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes issued a direct threat against Azucena Uresti, a TV anchor with Milenio Television and Grupo Multimedios Radio.
@A_Encinas_R pongan atención a este video, no vallan a minimizarlo y después se lamenten de no haber prestado atención, a @azucenau está gente no amenaza nada más por apantallar, más vale tener cuidado, ya van más de 30 compañeros periodistas asesinados no le valla a pasar algo. pic.twitter.com/vtHh2gkf9w
— Omar Bello Pineda (@OmarBelloZihua) August 9, 2021
In the video, a man claiming to be El Mencho is wearing a mask at a table surrounded by six men brandishing rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers. The cartel boss claimed that through her reporting, Uresti portrayed various cartel bosses from Michoacan as self-defense groups when in reality they are ruthless crime lords.
The cartel boss specifically names Uresti, comparing her to a prostitute who cannot hide from the organization.
The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement condemning the threats and and requested protection for Uresti.
#MEXICO: El CPJ se enteró con profunda preocupación de la circulación de un video en redes sociales, en el cual un hombre que dice ser el líder del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación amenaza a la periodista mexicana @azucenau de @mileniotv. https://t.co/JdXC9l38Kc
— CPJ Américas (@CPJAmericas) August 9, 2021
A spokesman for Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador issued a statement claiming the federal government would be taking the needed measures to protect Uresti and her outlet.
Ante las amenazas a medios de comunicación por parte del CJNG, el @GobiernoMX tomará medidas pertinentes para proteger a periodistas y medios de comunicación amenazados. Las libertades democráticas están garantizadas junto con el derecho a la información para los ciudadanos. pic.twitter.com/PgWuOKDp24
— Jesús Ramírez Cuevas (@JesusRCuevas) August 9, 2021
Uresti has since made public statements claiming that she will continue her work without any restraints and thanked authorities for their prompt responses. On social media, Uresti made no mention of the threats.
¡Muy buenas noches!
Comenzamos con toda la información que necesitan para antes de ir a dormir en #AzucenaxMilenio
Acompáñenme por Milenio Televisión y #FBLive https://t.co/oZCc0T5F4W ¡los espero! pic.twitter.com/wePcjxTpG9
— Azucena Uresti (@azucenau) August 10, 2021
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.
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