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Mexico’s Press Under Fire: The Murder of Alejandro Martínez

Soph Johnson
Photo of the pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico where Alejandro Martínez worked.

Sophie Johnson

In August, the murder of Mexican journalist Alejandro Martínez shocked the global press community.

Known for his courageous reporting on crime and corruption, Martínez was shot despite being under police protection, highlighting the perilous conditions faced by journalists in Mexico.

WHO WAS ALEJANDRO MARTINEZ?

Martínez was a Mexican journalist in his fifties who reported on crimes in Celaya, including turf wars and gang violence. Martínez ran a popular news page on Facebook with over 340,000 followers.

According to a National Press Club statement, he was: “A veteran crime reporter on the most dangerous beat in Mexico.”

 “At least 37 journalists have been killed”

Unknown gunmen in a passing pick-up truck shot and killed Martínez, who was riding in a car with armed bodyguards. After surviving a similar incident in 2022, he had been under police protection.

MEXICO’S PRESS ENVIRONMENT

According to a report from Amnesty International, Mexico is the most unsafe place to work in the press.

Since 2000, 163 journalists have been murdered, with a further 32 missing.

In his inauguration speech, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared there would be no more journalists murdered.

Despite this claim, in his six years as president, at least 37 journalists have been killed, with more missing.

In his term as president, López Obrador did not implement any reforms to try to end violence against the press.

In 2019, Reporters Without Borders referred crimes of violence committed against 116 journalists in Mexico that occurred between 2006 and 2018 to the International Criminal Court. However, the government are yet to take action.

Journalists hope the new president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, will take the much-needed steps to stop the ongoing attacks on press freedom and ensure journalists in Mexico can work without fear of violence. Media workers believe her administration needs to offer stronger protections, enforce accountability for crimes against journalists and address the underlying issues of corruption.

“This requires changing the Constitution”

Jan-Albert Hootsen, representative for Mexico of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said: “This requires changing the Constitution and making sure that state governments will go along with creating their own institutions on the local level and linking them to the federal institutions.”

“This takes years to change. There was some talk of a reform in that sense over the past two to three years, but it never really gained any speed or momentum,” he added.

COULD MARTINEZ’S MURDER HAVE BEEN PREVENTED?

Martínez was still targeted and killed, despite being under police protection, .

Balbina Flores, from Reporters Without Borders, told APF: “He was a journalist who was at risk.”

Journalists in the country say Mexico’s protective mechanisms often suffer from inadequate resources, poor coordination and a lack of political will.

“The fate of Martínez may continue to be an unfortunate reality”

CPJ’s Hootsen said: “His shooting while under police protection is a shocking example of the dangers facing journalists trying to keep the Mexican public informed about what is happening in their country.”

Without reforms, the fate of Martínez may continue to be an unfortunate reality for other journalists in Mexico. There is a worry that the continued violence against the press in Mexico may deter others from pursuing investigative journalism, especially in areas particularly affected by corruption or cartel violence.

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Featured image courtesy of Raquel Moss on Unsplash. No changes made to this image. Image license found here.

Soph is a self-proclaimed musicophile, hot chocolate connoisseur, and a sort-of polyglot. She is also an avid lover of film photography, movies, and books.

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