The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns the killing of Mexican crime reporter Luis Ángel López Valdez and calls on Mexican and Veracruz authorities to ensure the investigation into his killing is conducted swiftly and transparently, and holds those responsible accountable. We urge the Sheinbaum government to act urgently to protect members of the media amid an alarming uptick in attacks on journalists in the region.
López Valdez was shot at least 18 times by unidentified armed men while travelling in a taxi on June 11 in Poza Rica, a city in the eastern Mexican state of Veracruz, only hours before the FIFA World Cup kicked off in Mexico City. State and federal officials have begun an investigation into the killing.
López Valdez, who directed the local outlet Reportaje Policiaco Veracruzano and covered crime for the digital outlet Vanguardia de Veracruz, had reportedly previously received threats from public security officials related to his work. At the time of his death, he was under the protection of the State Commission for the Attention and Protection of Journalists (CEAPP), according to his employer. Following his killing, members of the journalist’s family were placed under state protection at their request.
“The IAPA demands that the investigations be thorough, diligent, and expeditious,” said Martha Ramos, president of the freedom of the press and information committee at the Inter American Press Association (IAPA). She added that impunity for crimes against the press fuels constant violence against journalists in Mexico.
The office of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression also condemned López Valdez’s killing, calling on authorities to consider his journalistic work as a possible motive for the crime and urged the adoption of a comprehensive public policy to prevent and protect journalists from violence, as well as secure justice when attacks do occur.
López Valdez’s killing comes just days after another Veracruz journalist, Roxana Guzmán, was violently abducted from her home by unknown individuals. After weeks of searching failed to locate Guzmán, the Mexican Attorney General’s Office on June 12 announced it was taking over the investigation under a special unit dedicated to investigating crimes against freedom of expression.
López Valdez is the second Veracruz journalist to be killed this year. On January 8, Carlos Castro of Código Norte Veracruz — who was also a crime reporter — was brazenly shot and killed while at a restaurant in Poza Rica. To date, his killing remains unsolved.
Mexico has several regional and national measures for the protection of journalists. In addition to CEAPP, which is local to the Veracruz state, the Mexican federal government has maintained a Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists since 2012. However, the mechanism has been criticised for failing to provide adequate safety protections for journalists under threat in Mexico, which is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the practice of journalism.
“Two journalists have been killed and another abducted this year in Veracruz alone. Luis Ángel López Valdez’s killing is yet another reminder of how Mexico’s existing mechanisms for the protection of journalists are inadequate,” said IPI Director of Advocacy Amy Brouillette.
“IPI urges President Sheinbaum to prioritise the safety of journalists by taking immediate action to address the spiral of violence against members of the media whose lives are at risk for simply doing their jobs. We also urge the international community to step up to independently investigate killings of journalists when state efforts fall short. Only then can we begin to end the crisis of impunity plaguing journalists worldwide.”