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January 24, 2025 – Mexico –
Mexican journalist Calletano de Jesús Guerrero was shot and killed outside a church in Teoloyucan, in the State of Mexico. Guerrero, 57, served as deputy editor of the Facebook-based news outlet Global Mexico and had been under federal protection since 2014 due to threats linked to his investigative reporting on crime and politics.
According to witnesses, Guerrero was attacked by armed men on a motorcycle in the church parking lot. Despite being enrolled in Mexico’s official protection mechanism for journalists, the safeguards in place failed to prevent his assassination.
His death has sparked national and international outrage. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemned the killing. CPJ’s Jan-Albert Hootsen called it a stark reminder of the dangers journalists face in Mexico, especially when protection mechanisms are ineffective. RSF also criticized the failure of the federal protection program and urged authorities to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation.
UNESCO joined in denouncing the murder, emphasizing the urgent need for Mexico to strengthen journalist safety and combat impunity. Guerrero is the second journalist killed in Mexico in 2025, continuing a deadly trend. Since 2000, more than 100 journalists have been killed or disappeared in the country, with the vast majority of cases remaining unsolved.
Guerrero’s reporting focused on crime, public corruption, and local politics—topics that frequently place journalists at risk in Mexico. His killing has renewed calls for comprehensive reform of Mexico’s journalist protection system, which critics say is under-resourced, poorly implemented, and reactive rather than preventive.
This case highlights the crisis of impunity surrounding press freedom in Mexico. Despite federal protection and repeated international warnings, journalists continue to be gunned down with little consequence for perpetrators. Guerrero’s murder not only silences another critical voice but also sends a chilling message to all journalists working in one of the most dangerous countries in the world for media professionals.
Without urgent action and accountability, Mexico risks allowing violence—not justice—to shape its press landscape.
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