Emir Olivares Alonso
Newspaper La Jornada
Friday, January 28, 2022, p. 4
January –with the murder of three reporters– ratifies the lethal reality for journalism and freedom of expression in Mexico and illustrates a painful record for the country, as one of the most dangerous (in the world) for journalists
, asserted the representative in Mexico of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN-DH), Guillermo Fernández-Maldonado.
Participating in the call for the fourth edition of the Breach/Valdez Prize for Journalism and Human Rights, the international representative urged to end the impunity that covers the crimes of journalists in the country and to guarantee their rights so that they can carry out their work safely. and freedom, which will pay in the strengthening of peace, security and development of the nation.
This edition of the award could not be convened at a more opportune time: a few days after the murder of Lourdes Maldonado and Margarito Esquivel, in Tijuana, Baja California; and José Luis Gamboa, in Veracruz. Three so far this year
, he indicated.
This award was created in 2018 in honor of the correspondents of La Jornada in Chihuahua and Sinaloa, Miroslava Breach and Javier Valdez, assassinated in March and May 2017. It is awarded by UN bodies, the Ibero-American University and some embassies of European nations. Due to the pandemic, last year there was no call, so for this edition journalistic works from 2020 and 2021 may be nominated. The winners will be announced on May 3, World Press Freedom Day.
Fernández-Maldonado recalled that the figures for crimes against communicators place Mexico as one of the most dangerous places for them.
In 2021, he said, the UN-DH documented at least eight murders and two disappearances of journalists that could derive from their professional activity.
Unfortunately, many of these crimes, such as those of the journalists after whom this award is named, are still awaiting justice.
, he pointed.
Griselda Triana, Javier Valdez’s widow, considered that It seems that the convulsive and dark times for journalism in Mexico will not go away, so we must not allow impunity. The authorities must move from speech to results, that is, clarify the violence against journalists and give guarantees of non-repetition
.
The event was also attended by officials from other UN agencies and from the convening foreign embassies, as well as from the Universidad Iberoamericana.
