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October 01, 2025 – Mexico –
In the first year of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency in Mexico, ten journalists have been murdered, prompting Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to press her to fulfill earlier pledges to protect press freedom.
RSF notes that although Sheinbaum has adopted a less adversarial tone toward the media than her predecessor, such improvements remain largely symbolic. The organization emphasizes that the killings occurred between October 2024 and September 2025, with nine of them happening in just seven months—underlining the rapid escalation in danger.
Before taking office, Sheinbaum had signed a pledge developed by RSF containing five strategic pillars and 22 actionable measures aimed at curbing violence against journalists. However, after one year in office, RSF reports that none of those measures have been fully enacted, and only three show limited progress.
RSF’s demands include:
- Allocating sufficient, sustained resources in the 2026 federal budget to protect journalists and human rights defenders.
- Halting the misuse of litigation, defamation laws, and other legal instruments to harass press workers.
- Advancing investigations into journalist murders and disappearances at the federal level, rather than leaving them to local authorities.
- Creating an independent monitoring mechanism—including civil society oversight—to track implementation of promised reforms.
RSF warns that Mexico already holds a grim distinction: in 2025 alone, it has recorded more journalist fatalities than any other Latin American country. The persistent impunity for crimes against the press, coupled with slow or absent institutional reforms, fuels a cycle of violence and silence.
In sum, RSF argues that the difference between symbolic gestures and meaningful protection lies in action—and insists that the Sheinbaum administration now has a critical opportunity to reverse Mexico’s status as one of the world’s most perilous nations for journalists.
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