Violence Against Mexican Journalists Increased in Pena Nieto's First Four Years Article 19 - Animal Politico
go to original December 7, 2016

Around the world, war correspondents by their very nature routinely face danger on the job. It’s especially true in places like Somalia, Iraq and Syria. But also high-up on the list of deadly places to be a reporter is Mexico. (CCTV America)

Four years after Enrique Peña Nieto became the Mexican President, it is important to pause and reflect on the performance of this government in all areas, especially those that severely afflict the country, such as the rise in poverty; high levels of corruption and impunity; insecurity and violence; foreign policy; education; and, of course, human rights.

Along these lines, one of the themes that we have detected so far in red numbers during this administration is violence against journalists and the media and the right to freedom of expression.

It all points to Enrique Peña Nieto's term going down in history as the most violent against the press. From December 1, 2012, when he took office, until September 31, 2016, at least 1,367 attacks against journalists have been recorded, taking into account the multiple assaults committed by federal police and those in Mexico City during the protests dubbed # 1DMX, on the very first day of his government.

Similarly, a total of 26 journalists have been killed in the country during this administration, which is the most serious censorship that may exist for exercising freedom of expression and information. However, there are also other types of aggression that can effectively be a censor, either directly or indirectly.

During the current administration, the number of legal suits made against journalists by public or political officials has increased, for reasons of opinions, notes or information that they consider to be prejudicial to their honor or reputation. They do not recognize that these types of people, due to the nature of their public activities, have a lower threshold of protection concerning their honor, since they are under social scrutiny and what they do or don’t do, is of public interest, which everyone should know.

The legal suits against journalists form a mechanism of institutional violence, which puts freedom of expression under legal attack, and generates an inhibitory effect on journalistic practice. This is also worrisome since the judges who have heard of this type of case, without analyzing them in light of international standards on the topic, decide in favor of giving precedence to the rights to honor or reputation, over freedom of expression, establishing penalties or disproportionate measures that translate into a mechanism of censorship, either with high compensation or orders to remove information or stop publishing.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices | Español

Translated by Amanda Coe

Article 19 is a British-based human rights organization with a specific mandate and focus on the defense and promotion of freedom of expression and freedom of information worldwide. It was founded in 1987. It has offices in Mexico.

Mexico Voices is a blogging endeavor aimed at raising the awareness of U.S. citizens regarding the destructive impact of the U.S. economic policy and the War on Drugs on Mexico - on its people, their economic and physical security and their human rights, on the nation’s dysfunctional justice system, and on the rule of law and Mexico’s fragile democracy. Visit the website at MexicoVoices.blogspot.mx

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