Prosecutors reported the abduction of three journalists and two of their relatives by armed men in the violence-ridden state of Guerrero, Mexico on Thursday. Press groups highlight Mexico as one of the most perilous countries for journalists globally, excluding war zones.
Abductions
The abductions occurred between Sunday and Wednesday in Taxco, a colonial town popular among tourists. One journalist was taken on Sunday with his wife and adult son, while a journalist couple was kidnapped on Wednesday.
The Afternoon Chronicle, an online news site in Chilpancingo, revealed that its Taxco reporter, Marco Antonio Toledo, had received threats from a drug cartel earlier in the year, instructing him not to publish a story. Toledo had recently reported on local corruption.
The news site urged authorities to locate Toledo, emphasizing that the region “has been silenced by the drug cartels.” Article 19, a press freedom group, reported that Toledo, his wife, and son were abducted by at least five armed individuals on Sunday and have not been heard from since.
Silvia Nayssa Arce and Alberto Sánchez, the kidnapped journalist couple, worked for another online news site, RedSiete. Taxco, known for its silver artisanry, colonial architecture, and vibrant Easter week celebrations, has become a battleground for drug gangs vying for control of the protection money trade from local businesses.
Cartels
The La Familia Michoacana cartel and the Tlacos gang are reportedly engaged in turf battles in Taxco, situated about 110 miles (180 kilometers) south of Mexico City. This incident marks one of the largest mass attacks on reporters in Mexico since early 2012 when three news photographers were found dead in Veracruz.
Last week, a photographer in Ciudad Juarez was discovered shot to death, marking the fifth instance of a journalist killed in Mexico in 2023. Over the past five years, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented the killings of at least 54 journalists in Mexico. The escalating violence underscores the challenging environment journalists face in the country.