Mexican Court Imposes Gag Order on Retired Journalist for Criticizing Campeche Governor

July 22, 2025 – Mexico –

A court in Campeche has issued a sweeping gag order against retired journalist Jorge Luis González Valdez and the digital newspaper Tribuna. The ruling mandates that any content referencing Governor Layda Sansores must first be reviewed and approved by the court. González Valdez, who retired in 2017 after 30 years as Tribuna’s editorial director, is also prohibited from making public statements or publishing articles about the governor without judicial supervision.

The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned the decree, calling it “nothing less than a gag order” and accusing state authorities of deploying lawfare to silence government critics. CPJ is urging Governor Sansores to halt what it terms judicial harassment. Local press freedom advocates highlight this as part of a growing trend in Mexico, where critical media figures face lawsuits, financial penalties, and judicial injunctions in an environment already noted for impunity in crimes against journalists.

González Valdez previously faced a separate court-mandated fine of 2 million pesos (approximately USD 110,000) for alleged defamation of the governor, although that order is currently suspended pending appeal. The new gag order represents a significant escalation, effectively censoring independent journalism in Campeche and raising wider concerns about judicial abuse and the erosion of free expression in Mexican media.

References –

https://www.jurist.org/news/2025/07/mexico-court-condemned-over-gag-order-imposed-on-retired-journalist-for-critical-reporting-on-campeche-governor/

https://cpj.org/2025/07/gag-order-imposed-on-retired-mexican-journalist-newspaper-over-critical-reports-on-governor/