|
In just two months, the people of Mexico will exercise their inalienable right to democratically choose the next President of this great country. Like Americans, Mexicans view democracy as a collection of rights guaranteed to them by their government. The rights to vote, to a fair trial, or to assemble peacefully, are just a few of the important benefits of democracy.
Freedom of the press is perhaps one of the most sacred tenets of democracy – and a right many of us take for granted. In Mexico, it is guaranteed by law and is essential to a strong civil society and a healthy democracy here.
Today, on World Press Freedom Day, we recognize the important contributions of the media and honor the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives and their fortunes for the sake of a free press.
Within the Mexican journalism community, examples abound of integrity and a commitment to the truth. Importantly, the media here is free to report and publish the news and editorials without government interference. But sadly, many journalists view Mexico as one of our region’s most dangerous places to work. Their fears are not without reason.
On March 9 of this year, Jaime Arturo Olvera Braco, a freelance photographer and former correspondent for La Voz de Michoacan, was shot and killed. In February, a criminal gang attacked the offices of El Mañana in Nuevo Laredo, wounding reporter Jaime Orozco Tey. Crime reporter Dolores García Escamilla died April 16, 2005, from injuries she suffered in a shooting in front of the Stereo 91 radio station in Nuevo Laredo. Raúl Gibb Guerrero, owner and director of La Opinión in Veracruz, was murdered April 8, 2005. El Imparcial investigative reporter Alfredo Jiménez Mota disappeared in Hermosillo on April 2, 2005 while traveling to meet a source. All of these crimes are being investigated as attacks on the victims for their professional activities.
And of course most of us have heard about the case of journalist Lydia Cacho and the threats she has faced for exposing a pedophilia ring. But, these are only a handful of the incidents in which journalistic integrity has been threatened in our region.
Our liberties are at risk if we fail to fight the criminals who are killing and threatening journalists-- journalists who risk their lives every day to keep us informed. Violence against journalists can lead to self-censorship by the media and ultimately can be a detriment to the public’s right to information—a fundamental right for any free people.
On this important day, let us reflect on the brave men and women, not just here, but throughout the world, who are risking their lives to tell us what we need to know to make important choices about our interconnected lives. And let us think about how we can better protect journalists from those who seek to do them harm and, ultimately, those who seek to deny us of our right know.
|
