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March 20, 2026 – Mexico –
Two separate shootings targeting journalists within the span of just two days in Mexico have renewed urgent concerns about the country’s failure to safeguard media workers, as press freedom organizations warn that existing protection mechanisms remain inadequate.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), journalist Juan David Gámez was shot dead on March 18, 2026, in García, Nuevo León. Gámez, who ran the local news outlet Táctica SS, was attacked near his home while riding a motorcycle. He was known for reporting on sensitive issues, including crime, corruption, and drug trafficking, topics that frequently place journalists in Mexico at heightened risk. Authorities have indicated that prior threats against him are being examined as part of the investigation.
Just two days earlier, on March 16, journalist Óscar Merino Ruiz was shot and critically wounded in Santiago Pinotepa Nacional, Oaxaca. Gunmen reportedly approached him on a motorcycle and opened fire while he was walking with his wife. Merino, director of the outlet OM Noticias, also covered local security issues, leading observers to suspect the attack may have been linked to his reporting, though the motive has not been officially confirmed.
RSF strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as a stark illustration of the extreme dangers faced by journalists in Mexico. The organization emphasized that both reporters were working at the local level and were not under any form of state protection, highlighting systemic gaps in the country’s journalist protection mechanisms.
Mexico remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists outside active war zones. Reporters covering organized crime, corruption, and local governance are particularly vulnerable, often facing threats, violence, and impunity for attacks against them.
Press freedom advocates have called on President Claudia Sheinbaum and Mexican authorities to carry out swift, thorough, and impartial investigations into both cases, ensuring that the victims’ journalistic work is fully considered as a potential motive. They also urged urgent reforms to strengthen protective measures for journalists at risk.
The back-to-back attacks underscore a broader crisis in Mexico’s media landscape, where violence and weak institutional protections continue to endanger reporters. Without meaningful accountability and stronger safeguards, observers warn that such incidents are likely to persist, further silencing critical reporting in some of the country’s most vulnerable regions.
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