Several international and national organizations that defend freedom of expression have denounced a wave of arbitrary arrests and alleged political persecution in San Luis Potosí against journalists and media workers, under the administration of Governor Ricardo Gallardo Cardona.
In less than 48 hours, the arrest of three people was documented, and arrest warrants were issued for at least eight more, in cases marked by opacity and violations of due process.
The organizations Article 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), CIMAC, Propuesta Cívica, the National Network of Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders detailed the cases of Christian Herrera, content creator for “Código Rojo”; Eréndira Reyes Aguillón, director of “San Wicho Times”; and Alejandra Hermosillo, a municipal official.
The investigations, according to the organizations, could be linked to the dissemination of a video on social media in which alleged members of organized crime accused the governor and the State Civil Guard of supposed ties to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
In this regard, they denounced that applying laws approved in November 2025 to punish a video published months earlier would violate the principle of non-retroactivity enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution.
Christian Herrera: He was violently arrested on the afternoon of Thursday, May 21. Although an accusation of pharmacy robbery was reported, it has not been confirmed, which raises the risk that his detention is arbitrary.
Eréndira Reyes and Alejandra Hermosillo: They were arrested on the same Thursday. In the case of Eréndira Reyes, it was reported that she was arrested while with her grandchildren, who were temporarily placed in police custody. Both women were remanded in custody following a hearing on Friday, May 22, though confusion persisted regarding their official whereabouts.
They are accused of crimes related to the illicit manipulation of image and digital identity, using recently approved articles of the local Penal Code.
Organizations warned that these regulations, due to their vagueness and broad scope, facilitate the persecution of journalists and social media users, and even noted that the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) has filed a constitutional challenge against this legislation.
Source: riodoce
