Journalist Esaú Zavaleta Arrested While Reporting on Civic Complaint in Oaxaca

August 4, 2025 – Mexico –

Journalist Esaú Zavaleta was arrested and jailed today in Playa Grande, a community of San Pedro Huamelula, Oaxaca, while covering a local citizen complaint concerning the potential removal of an endangered tree. The journalist had been invited by residents to attend a community meeting to document their concerns regarding the local authorities’ plan to cut down a tree located within the home of a young resident, Deysi Abigail.

Zavaleta reported that he arrived at the meeting at approximately 8:00 a.m. to collect testimonies. Upon entering the gathering, he was threatened and forcibly restrained by “topiles”—auxiliary police forces deployed by resident authorities and detained. The journalist was subsequently jailed without explanation.

Following the incident, Zavaleta sought legal recourse by filing a complaint with Mexico’s Federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR). The journalist’s arrest sparked immediate condemnation from press freedom advocates who accused local authorities of suppressing independent reporting on a matter clearly in the public interest.

This event took place soon after a separate case in Chiapas, where journalist Laura Cruz López was detained while covering a protest. Together, the incidents underscore a broader pattern of journalists in Mexico being detained while documenting citizens’ grievances and transparency issues, especially when those grievances involve local governance and environmental concerns.

Observers point out that such detentions often arise under the guise of maintaining public order, while in practice they serve to intimidate media professionals. In both cases, journalists were arrested despite identifying themselves as the press and without disrupting public safety. Instead, authorities appear to have targeted them to prevent documentation of protests or citizen-led actions.

Press freedom organizations are demanding immediate investigations into Zavaleta’s arrest, calling for his release and denouncing the use of auxiliary police to suppress journalism. They have also urged the Mexican government to issue clear protections for reporters covering community disputes and citizen complaints, and to clarify that such coverage is legally protected.

Zavaleta’s arrest, alongside related recent cases, reflects ongoing challenges to media freedom at the local level in Mexico. When journalists are denied access to document civic concerns, accountability suffers, and fear spreads. Press advocates warn that unless action is taken, such abuses will continue—silencing journalism and denying local communities a voice.

References –

https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/estados/someten-y-encarcelan-al-periodista-esau-zavaleta-en-comunidad-de-san-pedro-huamelula-oaxaca-acude-a-la-fgr-para-presentar-una-denuncia/

https://latamjournalismreview.org/news/mexican-journalist-arrested-and-jailed-while-reporting-on-citizen-complaint/