On the fourth anniversary of the murder of the director of the news portal Noticias Minuto a Minuto, Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Propuesta Cívica met with federal and Oaxaca state authorities on 17 June to demand justice and full reparation for the journalist’s family. His killing highlights the serious obstacles that media professionals face in accessing protection measures in Mexico.
On 17 June 2025, RSF and Propuesta Cívica held meetings with the Oaxaca Prosecutor’s Office, the Coordination for the Attention of Human Rights in Oaxaca (CADH), and the Federal Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists, with the aim of following up on the recommendations issued by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), in light of the negligence and omissions that led to the murder of Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera.
Despite some progress, such as the public apology and the acknowledgement of responsibility by the state of Oaxaca in June 2024, the recommended measures have yet to be fully implemented. During the meeting with the organisations, the Prosecutor’s Office and the CADH stated that their teams would undergo training with a focus on freedom of expression, and the authorities present—both local and federal—committed to working jointly to fully implement the recommendations. RSF and Propuesta Cívica have launched a public petition to ensure this commitment goes beyond words and results in concrete action.
Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera, director of the news portal Noticias Minuto a Minuto, was murdered on 17 June 2021 by armed men while travelling by motorbike with his son, after having reported numerous threats and requested state protection.
“The murder of Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera exposed the Mexican state’s failure to ensure the safety and protection of threatened journalists, as well as the ineffectiveness of public prosecutors in investigating and bringing those responsible to justice. We urgently call for the full implementation of the recommendations issued by the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH), for the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE) to step up its investigative efforts, and for the government to provide full reparation to the family.
The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum, elected in October 2024, had a historic opportunity to reverse the country’s legacy of violence against the press — but has failed to do so. Since January 2025, five Mexican journalists have been murdered. Despite having made committments to RSF to defend and protect the professionals who risk their lives to inform the public, no meaningful concrete measures have yet been advanced.
