The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released an alert on Thursday urging the Mexican government to protect a Mexican journalist who is receiving death threats due to his work. Alberto Amaro Jordán, the founder and editor of La Prensa de Tlaxcala, is currently enrolled in a government protection mechanism after numerous threats and attempts on his life were made. Amnesty International listed Jordán as a journalist at risk in April, urging the public to take action and write to government officials to “grant protective measures … that adequately respond to the level of risk he is facing.”

The CPJ’s alert stated that Mexican authorities “must immediately investigate death threats” directed at Jordán, his family, and his bodyguards, as well as “take steps to guarantee his safety.” The alert also said that unknown individuals drove past Jordán’s home, yelling to his bodyguards that they would kill them and Jordán’s family. Jordán told the CPJ that he believes these threats are related to a reporting trip addressing forced disappearances near Ocotlán.

Jordán is currently under the protection of the federal Mechanism for Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, but he told Amnesty International that the mechanism offers limited protections and said it “took months for [the mechanism] to respond to his first requests for help.” He further stated that they withdrew his bodyguards after “concluding that he was no longer at risk” in July 2023. The CPJ said in its alert that 8 journalists have been killed under the mechanism’s protection.

Jordán has faced multiple attempts on his life over the years, including an incident in 2021 where Eleazar Molina Pérez attempted to force him off of the road east of Mexico City following an article addressing allegations of corruption. He informed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the incident and told them the mayor was released without charge.

The CPJ stated:

It is deeply concerning that reporter Alberto Amaro Jordán continues to receive brazen death threats, even as he is under the protection of the Mexican government. These threats are a clear sign of the violence that continues to plague the Mexican press … CPJ calls on Mexican authorities to investigate the threats Amaro and his family face and to strengthen the safety measures before this case becomes yet another footnote in Mexico’s abysmal track record of keeping journalists safe.

According to research by Reporters Without Borders, Mexico is “one of the world’s most dangerous and deadly countries for journalists.” In March, Mexican journalist Jamie Barrera was found alive after being abducted, while Mexican journalists held a vigil in April after their colleague Roberto Figueroa was killed.

Amnesty International released a research report in March titled “Mexico: Protect the Press,” which addressed the high threat to journalists’ safety and the threat to the freedoms of speech and the press in Mexico. The report found that the mechanism must be strengthened, stating that Mexico has “remained one of the world’s deadliest countries for journalists” and that the report’s findings “highlight serious flaws in the Mechanism’s handling of high-risk situations.”