Journalist Mariana Morales reported acts of intimidation and institutional violence by Adolfo Cuitláhuac López Gutiérrez, director of Social Communication of the Health Secretariat of Chiapas. According to Morales’s testimony, the events occurred on April 27 in Tapachula, where she was accompanying a Venezuelan migrant woman to the General Hospital for medical attention.
The communicator explained that the patient went to the hospital after not receiving care at a clinic earlier, so she offered to help. While they were in the area, Mariana Morales and a photographer did not take pictures without permission but had a conversation with another Honduran migrant woman. Following a directive, both left the place.
Subsequently, Morales received a voice message from Adolfo Cuitláhuac López Gutiérrez, who was in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, accusing her of taking photos inside the hospital, which the journalist denies. In the audio, the official expressed his disapproval and mentioned that it was delicate to take photographs in that environment.
In response to this situation, Mariana Morales called the spokesperson of the agency to demand an explanation but received intimidating and suggestive comments in return. The journalist recalled previous aggressions suffered from state government personnel on different occasions, which led her to call on authorities to review the conduct of public officials and emphasized the importance of journalistic practice not being subject to institutional approval.
Organizations defending journalists, such as the Network of Women Journalists and Communicators of Chiapas, Frontline Freelance Mexico, and the National Union of Press Editors, have expressed their support for Mariana Morales and have drawn attention to the importance of respecting journalistic work and protecting press freedom.
