Mexico, where doing journalism is risking your skin

Mexico Unfortunately, for years it has been one of the most dangerous countries to practice the trade of journalist. There, the denunciation of corruption and violence is paid dearly, two of the unbearable scourges of that great nation in which a hundred people are murdered every day. The work carried out by the independent media to uncover the shameful collusion of the authorities with drug trafficking mafias or with sexual exploitation networks is heroic. Attacks, kidnappings already

murders are the order of the day, and daily threaten the work of the brave who, even so, maintain their commitment to a fundamental right for citizens such as freedom of information. Reporter Roberto Toledo, gunned down this week in the state of Michoacán, has become

in Mexico so far this year. And her death came in full shock over the crime of Lourdes Maldonado, a journalist who despite herself became an icon of the fight against this dramatic reality since she asked the current president, López Obrador, for help, because she feared for the life of her.

Since the turn of the millennium, there have been almost 150 homicides of communicators in the Aztec country, 28 of them during Obrador’s current term, which began in 2018. Mexico is becoming in many ways a true

, and there are more and more areas where the media no longer report organized crime or the corruption of their political leaders, subjected to a devilish spiral of silence as the only form of protection. And this very serious situation has been reached largely due to the impunity with which these murders are perpetrated: barely one in 10 concludes with those responsible brought to justice.

Criticism against populist López Obrador intensifies for his lack of commitment in defending an essential pillar of any democracy. Only the determined commitment of the State could stop this

. Mexico is not an exception in the Latin American context, where journalism is increasingly persecuted at the hands of regimes specialized in violating freedoms, starting with the freedom of the press, and even persecuting uncomfortable or disaffected journalists to death, as is the case in Cuba or Venezuela. Putting a stop to violence against journalists must be an unwavering demand of the international community.