Mexico ranked third in the world for the number of journalists killed in 2025, with six registered cases. This figure reflects an increase from five murders in 2024 and two in 2023. This is according to a special report released on Wednesday by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which states that these murders fit into a chronic pattern of violence that has affected the country over the last decade. The CPJ emphasizes that Mexico is one of the countries that has persistently failed to guarantee justice for the murders of journalists. To date, their killers have not been identified. The CPJ warns that violence against journalists in Mexico not only reflects the presence of organized crime and corruption, but also an uncontrolled exercise of political power that exacerbates risks for the press. 'Journalists were killed in Bangladesh, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, Philippines, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, reflecting a pattern that prevails in countries where the rule of law is weak, criminal factions have free rein, and political leaders exercise uncontrolled power,' the report states. Mexico is part of a group of five nations—along with Israel, Sudan, Russia, and the Philippines—where 84% of journalist deaths worldwide occurred in 2025. While in other places the risk comes from armed conflicts and drone attacks, as in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, in Mexico the dangers are mainly linked to the violence of organized crime, institutional corruption, and persistent impunity. 'At least one journalist has been killed in Mexico and India every year for the last 10 years,' points out the CPJ report, which states that the combination of direct threats, harassment, and unpunished murders functions as a form of censorship that weakens democratic freedoms and limits the informational work of journalists in the country. First place goes to Israel, with 86 journalists killed in 2025, while Sudan is in second place, with nine journalist and media worker deaths in the same year. The organization notes that the six cases from 2025 remain unresolved, in a context where widespread corruption and the powerful influence of criminal groups over the police and political activity have prevented those responsible from being identified and prosecuted. Furthermore, it points out that the federal mechanism for the protection of journalists and human rights defenders has proven to be 'largely ineffective.' The report cites as an example the murder of journalist Calletano de Jesús Guerrero, who was shot dead on January 17, 2025, in Teoloyucan, State of Mexico, despite being under federal protection since 2014 due to threats related to his journalistic work.
