The IAPA strongly condemns the murder of Mexican journalist Calletano de Jesús Guerrero

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The organization urges authorities to end impunity for crimes against the press.
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Miami (January 20, 2025) - The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) strongly condemns the murder of Calletano de Jesús Guerrero, deputy director of Global México, which occurred on Friday, January 17 in the municipality of Teoloyucan, State of Mexico. The continental organization urges authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, establish the motives behind the crime, and prosecute all those responsible.

The journalist was shot in the center of the locality, in front of the municipal cathedral of San Antonio, according to reports from the Mexican press. Guerrero had been included in May 2014 in the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, after reporting threats and direct attacks related to his work, according to a statement released by the mechanism on the social network X.

In the months leading up to the murder, Guerrero faced numerous incidents that increased his level of risk. In November 2024, he reported a potentially risky incident at his home, and in December, his vehicle was stolen. Additionally, days before his murder, on January 13, he reportedly had a confrontation with a criminal cell while carrying out journalistic duties in Hidalgo, prompting additional measures by the protection mechanism.

The mechanism communicated with the family of the murdered journalist and took "various actions to assist the family," as reported, while also stating that it had expanded the complaint to the General Prosecutor's Office of the State of Mexico.

The IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz stated, "The murder of Calletano de Jesús Guerrero reflects an alarming deterioration in the exercise of journalism in Mexico. This crime is a direct challenge to the protection system and a reminder of the urgent need for justice and security guarantees for journalists." Dutriz, CEO and general manager of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador, added, "We urge the authorities to investigate the case, punish those responsible, and end the cycle of impunity surrounding these crimes."

Meanwhile, Carlos Jornet, second vice president of IAPA, president of the Committee on Press Freedom and Information of the organization, and editor-in-chief of the Argentine newspaper La Voz del Interior, stated, "Violence against journalists in Mexico is intolerable and exacerbated by the inefficiency of protection measures and impunity. The federal government must strengthen the Protection Mechanism with adequate resources and act in a coordinated manner to prevent further loss of life and ensure safe journalism."

The murder of Calletano de Jesús Guerrero is a painful reminder of the precarious security situation for journalists in Mexico. The country ranks 13th in the latest edition of the IAPA's Chapultepec Index, with a score of 43.50, below the average for the Americas, classified in the "restricted" category overall. During this period—from August 2, 2023, to August 1, 2024, according to the barometer—spaces of violence exacerbated by organized crime intensified, a phenomenon that poses a very high risk to the practice of journalism.

The 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.

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