Thousands of journalists throughout Mexico held protests in 55 cities after the recent killings of three colleagues to raise awareness on how so few related crimes are solved.
The journalists gathered in town squares and outside of government buildings to demand an end to the violence targeting their peers. The protests come two days after unknown gunmen shot and killed Lourdes Maldonado, a respected journalist in Tijuana. Her murder was the third of its kind in January and the 54th since President Andres Manuel Lopez took office in December 2018. The figure for journalists killed varies by press freedom organization.
¡No abusen de nuestras y nuestros caídos!
Periodistas asesinados en México en este sexenio:@article19mex: 28@RSF_esp: 26@CPJAmericas: 14@Pablo_Majluf, que dice citar a @revistaetcetera: 54.
En cuanto a violencia vs periodistas, este gobierno va igual que EPN.
¡Pero no usen pic.twitter.com/Dzxnu2Bnsz— Témoris Grecko (@temoris) January 25, 2022
Days before Maldonado’s murder, a gunman shot and killed respected Tijuana photojournalist Margarito Martinez, one week after the fatal stabbing of online journalist Jose Luis Gamboa in Veracruz.
Two years before her murder, Maldonado traveled to Mexico City to ask Lopez Obrador for physical protection. She claimed that she had a dispute with former Baja California Governor Jaime Bonilla and feared repercussions. Bonilla is from the same party as Lopez Obrador.
#ULTIMAHORA
ASESINAN en Tijuana a la periodista Lourdes Maldonado‘VENGO A PEDIR AYUDA. TEMO X MI VIDA’, dijo al Pte @lopezobrador_ en una #mañanera
Acababa de ganar un litigio vs el exgobernador Jaime Bonilla. Hoy es la 3era colega asesinada del añopic.twitter.com/fs5qJdWf1u
— Ruido en la Red (@RuidoEnLaRed) January 24, 2022
According to information shared by leading press freedom activists, approximately 90 percent of the crimes against journalists remain unpunished in Mexico. The figures are based on the country’s statistics and go against the claims made by Lopez Obrador that impunity and corruption have ended under his term.
For 3 years, Mexican president @lopezobrador_ said that ‘impunity is over’ and that he would ‘no longer allow’ any killings of journalists. Without meaningful action, his words ring deafeningly hollow as Mexico mourns the death of another murdered journalist today.
— Jan-Albert Hootsen (@jahootsen) January 24, 2022
In Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, journalists gathered outside of the gubernatorial palace where they held a candlelight vigil. A group for relatives of kidnapped victims and a farmworker union joined the demonstration.
Similar protests took place in Monterrey, Mexico City, and across the nation.
Periodistas de #Monterrey y Noreste de México se manifestaron en la jornada nacional de protesta contra la impunidad con las que se asesina a colegas. Contra la inacción del gobierno para frenar la violencia. A lo que se suma los ataques de @lopezobrador_ contra periodistas pic.twitter.com/t3JYalGsnH
— Juan Alberto Cedillo (@JuanACedillo) January 26, 2022
Journalists throughout Mexico shared their photographs from the protests to raise further awareness.
Exigimos justicia para nuestros colegas y sus familias. ¡No más periodistas asesinados! ¡No más periodistas desaparecidos! #NiSilencioNiOlvido#NoSeMataLaVerdad#SinMasPeriodistasEnSusListas#PeriodismoEnRiesgo pic.twitter.com/iNrdZp0wRK
— IGNACIOMARTINEZ (@IGNACIOMTZ) January 26, 2022
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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