Miami (November 30, 2023) - The Inter American Press Society (IAPA) condemned the serious attacks against five Mexican journalists that occurred on Tuesday in the State of Guerrero. The organization called on the federal government to put a stop to the wave of violence and impunity against the press and to ensure the safety of journalists.
Journalists Jesús Antonio de la Cruz from the Noticias Reportes Guerrero website; Óscar Guerrero, a photojournalist from the Amapola Periodismo portal; Víctor Mateo Francisco, a contributor to ANG, AHORA Guerrero, and Quadratín, among other media outlets; and Héctor Camacho from the Interacción weekly were traveling in a vehicle when they were shot at by individuals on a motorcycle in the city of Chilpancingo, the capital of the state of Guerrero.
De la Cruz and Mateo were hospitalized after being hit by gunfire and are reportedly out of danger, according to local news reports. Guerrero suffered a minor injury to his arm, and Camacho was unharmed. The attack occurred on November 28 after the reporters covered the murder of a public transport driver, according to reports.
IAPA President Roberto Rock expressed the condemnation and solidarity of the organization with the assaulted journalists. "Unfortunately, we continue to see, with indignation and a sense of helplessness, the normalization of the advancement of violence against the press throughout Mexican territory. This latest attack in Guerrero is another example of the enormous difficulties journalists and media face in carrying out their work without fear of reprisals," added Rock, editor of Mexico's La Silla Rota news portal.
Carlos Jornet, president of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information and editor of Argentina's La Voz del Interior newspaper, stated, "This new onslaught against Mexican journalism once again highlights the need for authorities to take concrete measures to stop this endless wave of violence and impunity."
In Apatzingán, in the neighboring state of Michoacán, journalist Maynor Ramón Ramírez from the ABC news portal was also attacked on the same day. The incident took place at his residence, where he operates a carpet cleaning business, according to local reports. Ramírez and another person at the scene received first aid. The journalist survived an assassination attempt in 2016.
The attack in Guerrero occurred days after an armed group kidnapped journalists Marco Antonio Toledo Jaimes, Silvia Nayssa Arce Avilés, and Alberto Sánchez Juárez on November 19 in the city of Taxco. They were later released without the reason for their abduction being known.
During the General Assembly of the SIP, held in mid-November in Mexico City, the organization approved a resolution urging the governments of Mexico and other countries in the region to comply "with their responsibility to identify the material and intellectual perpetrators of murders and acts of violence and to apply the corresponding sanctions so that they do not remain unpunished."
IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
