veracruz

Powerful drug cartels and escalating violence made journalists in Mexico more vulnerable to attack than ever before. The dangerous climate was compounded by a pervasive culture of impunity. Most crimes against the press remained unsolved as Mexican law enforcement agencies, awash in corruption, did not aggressively investigate attacks. With no guarantee of safety, reporters increasingly…

While organized criminals and drug traffickers account for the bulk of attacks against Mexican journalists, CPJ has documented an increasing number of assaults committed by security forces. Just last week, this reality was brought into sharp focus with the accusation by a reporter that he had been roughed up by the military.

New York, August 8, 2008–With new allegations of the beating of a journalist by soldiers, the Mexican military must develop procedures to ensure that the press can cover its operations, said the Committee to Protect Journalists today.

MEXICO Mexican authorities failed again to vigorously pursue the perpetrators of violence against journalists, leaving reporters vulnerable to attacks and the news media resorting to self-censorship. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries for the press, CPJ research shows, with 13 journalists slain in direct relation to their work and another 14 killed under…

New York, January 28, 2008—Mexican journalist Octavio Soto Torres, known for his harsh criticism of local authorities, was shot at by four masked gunmen on Wednesday night while driving in the city of Pánuco, Veracruz state. Soto and his son, 16, who was also in the car, were not shot, but Soto was injured as…

Drug fueled violence against the press has spread to the central state of Michoacán. At least two journalists’ lives have been lost, and self-censorship is taking root.

August 28, 2007 Posted September 17, 2007 Martín Serrano Herrera, Diario Tribuna THREATENED Serrano, editor of the Jalapa-based daily Diario Tribuna, found high-caliber bullets with red paint wrapped in newspaper just outside his home in the southeastern state of Veracruz. The journalist told CPJ he believed the threat was a warning against his critical reporting…

MEXICO Gunmen stormed the offices of the Nuevo Laredo daily El Mañana in February, firing assault rifles, tossing a grenade—and setting the tone for another dangerous year for Mexican journalists. The shocking assault, which seriously injured reporter Jaime Orozco, spurred the federal government to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate crimes against the press. The…

Majority are murdered; worldwide death toll rises

New York, November 22, 2006—Roberto Marcos García, a reporter for the Veracruz-based publication Testimonio and local correspondent for the Mexico City weekly Alarma, was found murdered yesterday in southern Mexico. The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating possible links between García’s murder and his journalism. García, who was traveling from Veracruz to the nearby city…