At least 35 journalists have been killed in Mexico since December 2006. In the past six months, five journalists have been murdered, four of them in the state of Veracruz in a single week. Many others have been kidnapped and threatened. Newspapers throughout the country suffer constant intimidation and armed attacks on their premises.

The Board is deeply concerned that such violence, and the level of impunity the perpetrators enjoy, seriously jeopardises Mexico’s democratic credentials. Citizens have increasingly limited access to the news because of widespread self-censorship, while news blackouts continue to be a reality across entire regions of the country.

The Board of WAN-IFRA reaffirms its support for ongoing efforts by the Mexican press to end this wave of violence and respectfully reminds the President-elect that as future head of state, it will be his responsibility to guarantee freedom of expression in the country.