This week, three people, including journalist Ernesto Mendez, have been shot dead in a bar in San Luis de la Paz bringing the total number of journalists killed in Mexico this year to 13. Armed gunmen stormed the bar Mendez owned on 2nd August. Mendez was the director of the local newspaper, Tu Voz. Mexico is the most dangerous country for reporters outside of war zones and 2022 in particular has seen a sharp increase in threats and violence against journalists.

Journalists who run small-town newspapers or outlets are often targeted. Tu Voz had previously been the target of death threats due to its coverage of drug cartels and corruption-related activity. It is unclear why Ernesto Mendez was singled out, but it is being reported that Mendez was a well-known resident who had built a name for both his bold journalism work, his role as a spokesperson for neighbourhood businesses and for organizing local events. 

Speaking on the shooting, Guanajuato State Governor Diego Rodriguez stated “We vehemently condemn the act in which journalist and businessman Ernesto Mendez and two other persons tragically perished.” However, the Governor avoided the fact that Mendez had received threats due to his journalism and instead suggested that Mendez was killed due to his bar being “the object of extortion or a rivalry between rival businesses”.  This is a common theme amongst state officials and the government’s response to the murders of journalists. They often claim that they have been killed due to their involvement in organized crime rather than their journalism. By disassociating the killings from the victims’ involvement in journalism, it absolves the state from its responsibilities in preventing violence and prosecuting those responsible. 

Since the Mexican government declared war on organized crime and deployed the military in 2006, there has been an explosion of violence across Mexico, including violence against journalists who report on the conflict, organized crime, cartels and human trafficking. Since 2000, there have been over 150 journalists killed in Mexico. January of this year has been the deadliest, with four journalists, José Arenas, Margarito Esquivel, Lourdes López and Roberto Toledo all murdered for doing their job and exercising their freedom of expression. Organized crime groups are often involved or are responsible for journalist killings but sometimes, corrupt state officials or politicians with criminal motivations are suspects. 

There are few consequences for the murders of journalists and the Mexican Government falls under harsh criticism from human rights organizations for not bringing those responsible to justice. Mexico’s Interior Undersecretary Alejandro Encinas has admitted that more than 90 percent of murders of journalists and human rights defenders remain unresolved. This is in part due to the conflict between the Mexican state and organized crime groups which has eroded the country’s justice system. High levels of corruption at local and state levels have also contributed to the lack of prosecutions for murders of journalists.  

In 2012 the Mexican government launched The Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. It is a protection scheme meant to aid threatened journalists and human rights workers in Mexico. Journalists and rights workers who believe they are in danger can seek protection from the government which includes bodyguards, panic buttons, security cameras, or relocation to safe houses. About 500 journalists are enrolled in the program.

It is currently unknown whether Ernesto Mendez was enrolled in the protection scheme, however, his murder nevertheless reignites concerns over the scheme’s effectiveness. Criticism of the program includes the time it takes to process claims, a lack of staff to deal with the number of individuals needing protection, a lack of funding and corruption of state officials – and crucially, that it is simply a band-aid for the bigger issues of impunity and the lack of justice for murdered journalists.  

The Freedom of Expression is a fundamental human right and is protected under Article 19 of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. All Governments have a duty to protect those who work in the media and to uphold the Freedom of Expression. The Mexican government must accept responsibility and provide justice for all murdered journalists. The state should also revise and adapt their Federal Protection Mechanism so it can be an effective mechanism for the protection of journalists in the future.