On Friday morning, we witnessed a piece of news that shocked many of us. Seeing and listening on radio and television to the assassination attempt suffered 200 meters from his home by the journalist, Ciro Gómez Leyva, narrated by himself, live from his morning newscast, reminds us that, in this country, freedom Expression is a high-risk trade where the lives of women and men are put at stake. What Ciro Gómez Leyva experienced is reprehensible and outrageous. No one, in their legitimate right to profess the journalistic, investigative, or denunciation exercise, has to put their lives at risk, but unfortunately our reality is different. Freedom of expression in Mexico is and has been in danger for many years.
The threats and murders of journalists every year show the lack of commitment on the part of the State and its institutions, to protect the journalistic exercise, communication and, above all, information to its citizens, but, above all, the duty to care for a democracy, itself which is strengthened with true freedom of expression, hand in hand with critical journalism, in-depth investigations that offer us the opportunity to inform ourselves, form an opinion and be able to decide. Ciro is a survivor, but unfortunately, many have not made it, and his cases have not been solved either.
It’s hard to admit, but Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to practice journalism, according to Reporters Without Borders. On the other hand, the risk of journalistic work in our country has become chronic and worsens over the years. According to the record of Article 19, from the year 2000 to date, 157 journalists have been murdered in Mexico. Of this total, 47 murders were carried out under the presidency of Enrique Peña Nieto, and 37, so far under the current government of Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Veracruz, Guerrero, Chihuahua and Tamaulipas are among the most dangerous states and in which the largest number of journalists have been murdered.
The attack once morest the journalist Ciro Gómez Leyva and the unfortunate death of 157 journalists is the effect of a symptom that makes us sick and that as a society we should not allow. Every day that a journalist is intimidated, threatened or assassinated, our right to inform ourselves, to decide and to demand clear accounts from our governments and our institutions is weakened. Every day that, from the exercise of power, journalistic work is insulted and belittled, impunity, corruption and illegality are strengthened, make no mistake… The responsibility of our rulers is to create the conditions for a freedom expression can develop, regardless of other interests, if this does not happen, the state and its institutions fail, and the consequences can be terrible for our society and our democracy.
I would like to remind us of what is up to us: No to silence, no to impunity, no to resignation, yes regarding it, yes to the legitimate right to express ourselves without fear, yes to the right to freedom of expression committed to the facts, to the truth , since only with her, we can demand that things change. For Ciro, for you, for everyone, for a society with the right to demand freedom of expression without fear. It is our right and it is up to all of us to demand it…