43 journalists have been murdered as far as the current six-year term; 31 have been kidnappedof which Juan Carlos Hinojosa Viveros (Veracruz) remains without a known whereabouts since July 6, 2023, and every 13 hours a new attack against the press is recorded in our country, such as the attack suffered by Ciro Gómez Leyva last night from December 15, 2022, without finding out the authors intellectual and material 98% of cases.
With this reality, Mexico negatively exceeds countries that suffer armed conflicts or dictatorships in their territory, revealing the magnitude of the scandalous tragedy that Mexican society is experiencing.
The press It is the most sensitive sector to attacks against the human rights, since they are the eyes, ears, conscience and voice of an entire society, which is why they are the first ones they seek to silence and subjugate. But anyone follows after them.
Searching women like Lorenza Cano Flores, who has been kidnapped since last January 15, human rights defenders and environmental activists also suffer this persecution not only by criminals, but above all by the authorities themselves. Proof of this is that in the Yucatan Peninsula, at least 18 environmentalists have been murdered, most of them Mayans, for opposing the destruction of the ecosystem to build the presidential train.
Government censorship is permanent, since the federal government attempts to silence journalists, media outlets and activists, forcing managers to fire real journalists and put applauders in their place, limiting access to truthful information and creating a climate of self-censorship.
One of the reasons why attacks on freedom of expression persist is widespread impunity, which is motivated by the authority itself, thereby perpetuating a vicious circle of violence, impunity and cancellation of rights.
Without access to accurate information and without the possibility of freely expressing opinions, citizen participation in democratic life is impossible and accountability is undermined.
To protect and promote freedom of expression, we must address both government censorship and violence against journalists, women journalists, human rights defenders and environmental activists. This requires a firm commitment on the part of the government, and we are clear that the current one does not have it and seeks precisely the opposite and for this reason, citizens must cast a vote on June 2 in favor of freedom of expression and against impunity.
Only in this way can a favorable environment be created for the free exercise of rights and the democratic development of Mexico.
Alejandro Moreno is national president of the PRI.
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