Journalists in Puerto Vallarta have denounced acts of harassment and intimidation by elements of the National Guard while covering the rollover of a patrol vehicle in the Fluvial Vallarta subdivision. The Puerto Vallarta Journalists' Network demanded that the Federal Government guarantee the right to information and open an immediate investigation. The press release expressed solidarity with journalists José Guuadalupe Arce (CPS Noticias), Mauricio Lira (NoticiasPV), César Langarica (Reporte Diario), and Eliseo Cruz (N+), who reported being harassed while performing their duties.
The organization considered that these facts violate press freedom and the citizens' right to be informed. The accident occurred around 5:00 PM on Grandes Lagos avenue, and a National Guard unit overturned during a pursuit, leaving at least three elements injured, who were transferred to the Naval Hospital. A few meters away, a motorcycle was located, allegedly linked to the operation that the reporters were covering, and so far, the corporation has not informed what originated the pursuit or why the unit lost control.
During the coverage, reporters denounced that National Guard personnel tried to prevent recordings and live broadcasts. They indicated that the agents demanded identification, ordered them to leave the scene, and took photographs of the reporters' voter credentials and faces without justifying the reason.
Journalist Mauricio Lira stated that he was ordered to turn off his phone and suspend his broadcast. José Guadalupe Arce affirmed that he was about to be detained and that the corporation registered his personal data without legal basis, even though he had already identified himself. He publicly held the National Guard responsible for any improper use of his information.
The Puerto Vallarta Journalists' Network requested "unrestricted respect for the work of communicators and clear security conditions to cover events of public interest." The statement was directed to President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, the Secretary of National Defense, Guillermo Galván Galván, the operational commander of the National Guard, General Hernán Cortés Hernández, and the governor of Jalisco, Jesús Pablo Lemus Navarro.
As of the closing of this note, the National Guard has not issued a statement regarding the intimidation accusations or the treatment of the press, nor has it clarified the circumstances of the operation that led to the rollover of the unit.
