Mexican Journalist Alejandro Gallegos León Found Dead Amid Rising Violence Against Press

Alejandro Gallegos León, a prominent Mexican journalist, was found murdered in Cárdenas, Tabasco. He had been reported missing the day before, last seen around mid-afternoon. Gallegos, 51, was a well-known figure in local journalism, founding the Facebook news outlet La Voz del Pueblo, contributing as a columnist for Tabasco HOY, and teaching at Alfa y Omega University in Villahermosa.

His body was discovered with gunshot wounds, prompting an immediate investigation by the Tabasco State Attorney General’s Office. The circumstances of his death have raised concerns about targeted violence against journalists in Mexico.

International organizations swiftly condemned the killing. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called for a thorough investigation and stressed that impunity for crimes against journalists cannot be tolerated. Similarly, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged Mexican authorities to consider Gallegos’s journalistic work as a potential motive in the investigation.

Human rights groups and journalist associations have also demanded justice, highlighting that Gallegos’s reporting may have led to his murder. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) underscored this killing as a grim reminder of the ongoing threats journalists face in Mexico, where violence against the press remains rampant and many cases go unsolved.

Mexico has long been one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. Since 2000, more than 170 journalists have been killed, with numerous cases still unresolved, perpetuating a climate of fear and impunity. Journalists often risk their lives to expose corruption, crime, and abuse, making them targets for violence.

The death of Alejandro Gallegos León highlights the urgent need for stronger protections for media workers in Mexico and greater accountability for those who threaten press freedom through violence. The international community continues to press Mexican authorities to ensure a full and transparent investigation and to safeguard the fundamental right to free and safe journalism.