Mexico: Authorities must investigate killing of journalist Marco Aurelio Ramírez Hernández

Investigations must also be carried out into murders of at least two other Mexican journalists this year

IPI Contributor Rowan Humphries

Jun 1, 2023

Mexican security forces carry out an operation in the area where a shooting occurred on the highway to Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City, Mexico, 12 July 2022. EPA-EFE/Isaac Esquivel

The IPI global network condemns the killing of Mexican journalist Marco Aurelio Ramírez Hernández, who was shot outside his home by armed gunmen on May 23. He is at least the third journalist to be killed in Mexico in 2023. We call on the Mexican government to thoroughly and transparently investigate any connection between Ramírez’s killing and his work as a journalist, as well as the cases of at least two other Mexican journalists killed this year.

On the afternoon of May 23, Marco Aurelio Ramírez Hernández was followed by several armed individuals as he left his home in Tehuacán, a town in the Mexican state of Puebla. As he attempted to leave in his car, he was shot several times, causing him to crash the vehicle. On May 29, the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE) announced they had detained individuals involved in the attack.

Following the path of his father, Ramírez worked as a journalist for three decades, contributing to a variety of local outlets, including Periódico Central, El Sol de Puebla, and El Cuarto Poder. Much of his investigative work focused on cartel groups as well as sexual abuse in the Catholic church. In addition to his journalism career, Ramírez also conducted legal work, and in 2018, served briefly as a municipal official in the Tehuacán mayor’s office. His collaborations with media outlets continued up until his death. Most recently, he worked with local radio station Estéreo Luz FM, where he conducted analysis on human rights and the conduct of public officials in Puebla.

While Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has claimed that Ramírez’s killing was not related to his journalistic work, the United Nations has condemned the killing and called upon Mexican officials to “redouble efforts for a prompt and effective investigation of this crime.” Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission has also called for an investigation into whether the killing is related to Ramírez’s journalistic background.

Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, with virtually all killings of journalists going unpunished. Since January 2023, at least two other Mexican journalists have been killed.

On May 11, Gerardo Torres Rentería, a retired cameraman and reporter for Telemundo, was shot in his home in the city of Acapulco, in the Mexican state of Guerrero. As of yet, no charges or arrests have been made in connection to the killing. On February 13, Abisaí Pérez Romero, a journalist and environmental activist, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the city of Tula, in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, after going missing. He had been investigating possible environmental crimes in the region.

“The Mexican government must investigate the killing of Marco Aurelio Ramírez Hernández and determine whether there is a connection to his journalistic work. Authorities should not rule out any motives until a transparent and thorough enquiry is carried out”, IPI Deputy Director Scott Griffen said. “Successive Mexican governments have failed to tackle the problem of impunity for crimes against journalists, which continues to fuel the horrific violence against the press we see today. Unless those who responsible for these crimes face justice, this violence will continue.”