Six Years of Impunity: RSF Denounces the Unsolved Killing of Mexican Journalist Mario Gómez Sánchez

veteran reporter Mario Leonel Gómez Sánchez, a correspondent for El Heraldo de Chiapas, was gunned down outside his home in Yajalón, Chiapas—Europe’s most violent region for the press in Mexico—reportedly shot by two men on a motorcycle. Gómez, 41, had long exposed organized crime and corruption in local government, including threats received in 2016 from a congressman’s associate after he reported on alleged abuses.

Though three suspects were arrested and convicted years later—with one receiving 25 years and two others 19 years—the intellectual authors behind the murder remain unidentified. The Chiapas prosecutor’s office apprehended gunmen and accomplices but failed to pursue those who allegedly orchestrated the killing. This glaring omission has fueled accusations that the state prioritized surface-level justice while allowing masterminds to evade scrutiny.

In a recent statement, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) marked the sixth anniversary of Gómez’s death by condemning the persistent impunity embedded in the investigation. RSF highlighted that Chiapas remains a “red flag” for press freedom, citing entrenched intimidation, violence, and censorship exacerbated by organized crime’s ties to local authorities. The ongoing failure to solve the murder fully reinforces a chilling message: reporting on crime and corruption is a mortal risk in this region.

RSF called on Mexican authorities to re-engage transparently with the case, identifying intellectual perpetrators, addressing protection shortfalls for journalists, and advancing legal reforms to prevent similar tragedies. The organization stressed that without pursuing those who ordered the killing and without guaranteeing justice, Mexico’s reputation as one of the deadliest countries for journalists will stand, and the chilling effect on the country’s press will intensify.

Gómez’s murder thus remains emblematic of a broader crisis: a systematic assault on investigative journalism in Mexico, compounded by endemic impunity. Six years later, justice remains unfinished, and press freedom in Chiapas and Mexico at large remains under threat.