The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on the Attorney General’s Office (FGR) to federalize all cases involving journalists murdered in Mexico and urged greater coordination between federal and state authorities, as well as stronger protection measures for all journalists under the Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.
It also criticized President Claudia Sheinbaum for not speaking out about the wave of murders recorded this year, which has reached six, five of them occurring within a two-month period. However, “her government has also failed to announce specific measures in response.”
“Despite numerous organized calls for justice in the Mexican states where the journalists were murdered, government authorities have not responded to concerns raised by local journalists and press freedom advocacy groups regarding the persecution of journalists in connection with their work,” it lamented.
What actions has the CPJ taken regarding the murders of journalists?
In response to the increase in journalists’ murders, the CPJ urged authorities to federalize the cases in order to end impunity. It stated that, under Article 21 of Mexico’s National Code of Criminal Procedures, federal authorities not only have broad powers to take over investigations into crimes against journalists when public officials are involved, but have also proven more effective in the past at securing convictions in several high-profile cases involving murdered journalists, including the murders of Miroslava Breach Velducea and Javier Valdez Cárdenas in 2017.
“President Sheinbaum and her administration can choose to break the cycle of violence and impunity that has characterized the relationship between her predecessors and the press, or they can become the next in a long line of Mexican presidents who remained unmoved while the country consolidated its notorious status as the most dangerous place for journalists in the Americas,” said Jan-Albert Hootsen, the CPJ representative in Mexico.
Details on the cases of journalists murdered in Mexico
The CPJ also stated that responses at the state level have been insufficient. It explained that the governor of Oaxaca, Salomón Jara, condemned the murder of a journalist in his state, but faces criticism for his frequent verbal attacks against the critical press.
Meanwhile, in Veracruz, where three of this year’s murders occurred, Governor Rocío Nahle denied during a press conference on June 15 that her state has a problem with violence against the press. Beyond announcing investigations, the state governments of Puebla and Guerrero have not directly commented on the murders of Josué Martínez and Alex Serna.
“CPJ investigations have found that impunity remains the main factor encouraging deadly attacks against the press in Mexico, making the need to federalize the cases even more urgent, particularly because of the poor record of state prosecutors in investigating attacks against the press and the alleged involvement of local public officials in at least two cases,” it stated.
It recalled that Mexico has consistently ranked among the top 10 countries on the CPJ Global Impunity Index, surpassed only by countries officially classified as war zones. The CPJ has classified 97 of the 166 murders of journalists and media workers that have occurred in Mexico since 1992 as “unconfirmed,” meaning it has been unable to determine whether the killings were directly related to the victims’ journalistic work.
In the vast majority of these cases, police investigations stalled or failed to determine the motive behind the attacks, allowing them to remain unpunished. Meanwhile, the underlying causes of the violence are largely similar to those documented by the CPJ over the past several decades.
Violent territorial wars between drug traffickers and other criminal groups “continue to ravage the country, making journalists, particularly those covering corruption and crime, especially vulnerable to attacks,” the organization stated.
CPJ investigations have found that public officials, particularly police officers, are often among the attackers, fueling distrust and frequently leading journalists not to report threats and attacks.
“In this century, no case involving a journalist who was murdered or disappeared has resulted in the arrest and conviction of both the masterminds and the perpetrators of the attacks. Even in the most high-profile cases, such as the murders of Miroslava Breach Velducea and Javier Valdez Cárdenas, Mexican federal authorities only managed to arrest and convict some of the suspects,” it alleged.
Authorities’ reactions to violence against the press
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented six journalist murders in Mexico since January 1, 2026:
1.- Carlos Castro, January 8
Carlos Castro was shot and killed on January 8 while eating at a restaurant in Poza Rica, in the eastern state of Veracruz, a city located approximately 210 kilometers northeast of Mexico City, according to press reports and a statement from the State Commission for the Attention and Protection of Journalists (CEAPP) of Veracruz.
According to media reports, several men approached the journalist, shot him, and fled the scene. Castro ran the Código Norte Veracruz news website on Facebook and specialized in covering crime in Poza Rica. He was also a correspondent for the local newspaper Noreste.
2.- Luis Ángel López, June 11
Luis Ángel López was shot around 1 a.m. on June 11 in Poza Rica, Veracruz, according to press reports and a statement issued by the CEAPP on Facebook.
According to reports, López, a reporter for the regional newspaper Vanguardia, was shot by unidentified assailants on the same street where journalist Carlos Castro was shot and killed in January.
3.- Alex Serna, June 22
The Guerrero State Human Rights Commission confirmed in a statement published on Facebook on July 3 that the body of environmental journalist, activist, and content creator Alex Serna was found on June 22 in Zihuatanejo, in southern Guerrero, according to press reports, although the date has not been confirmed by state authorities. According to the same reports, Serna had been reported missing on June 20 and his body showed signs of torture.
4.- Roxana Ruiz, July 3
The remains of Roxana Guzmán were found in Moloacán, a municipality south of Nanchital, Veracruz, on Friday, July 3, according to a statement from the Veracruz State Attorney General’s Office (FGE).
Guzmán was reported missing on June 2, after an unidentified man was seen forcing open the door of her home with a heavy tool in a video that was widely circulated on social media that same day. A second unidentified man pointed a firearm and threatened Guzmán and her family. Eight suspects have been arrested, four of them members of the municipal police of Ixhuatlán, who allegedly provided resources and logistical support to the other four.
5.- Josué Martínez, July 16
Josué Martínez, founder and general director of the Noticias San Martín Texmelucan news outlet on Facebook, was shot and killed near his home at approximately 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 16, by unidentified motorcyclists in the municipality of San Martín Texmelucan, in the state of Puebla, according to press reports and a brief statement from the Puebla State Attorney General’s Office. Reports indicate that the Attorney General’s Office is investigating Martínez’s murder and that the journalist was with his 13-year-old son during the attack.
6.- Alejandro Leyva Aguilar, July 22
Alejandro Leyva Aguilar was shot and killed by unidentified assailants in San Pablo Etla, north of Oaxaca de Juárez, the state capital, on Wednesday, July 22, according to press reports and a statement from the Oaxaca State Attorney General’s Office.
He was eating at a food stand near his home when the attack occurred. Reports indicate that at least two attackers were traveling on a motorcycle. The perpetrators fled the scene. Leyva was director of CORTV, an Oaxacan television broadcaster, and more recently had primarily focused on writing opinion articles and columns.
“Although the severity and frequency of violence against the press this year are shocking and outrageous, Mexican authorities are by no means powerless in the face of these murders. They have the opportunity to prevent further violence, protect journalists, and fully commit to guaranteeing press freedom,” added Jan-Albert Hootsen.
The organization also accused the Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, which operates under the auspices of the Secretariat of the Interior, of appearing to be less effective despite the current crisis of violence and impunity.
There are approximately 500 journalists under protection. The mechanism has approximately 500 journalists enrolled in its protection program. However, the agency has not published public figures for 2025 and 2026. According to Andrés Solís, a member of the agency’s advisory council responsible for evaluating protection measures, approximately 80% of all applications from human rights defenders and journalists seeking to join the program are rejected.
Source: elmanana
