Journalist Alberto Amaro faces threats due to his work. Over the past five years, he’s endured multiple threats linked to his reporting, including a recent attack where someone tried to crash into his car. Despite these dangers, officials from Mexico’s Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists are skeptical of his claims and might remove his protection. We urge the Ministry of the Interior to provide Alberto with the necessary safeguards that match the risks he confronts.
Here’s what you can do:
Write to the Minister of Interior urging her to:
- Immediately reassess Alberto Amaro’s security situation, in consultation with him.
- Guarantee that his existing protective measures are not withdrawn and grant any additional measures that are needed to guarantee his safety, given the level of risk he faces.
- Ensure that authorities investigate any attacks against him.
Write to:
Minister Luisa María Alcalde Luján
Ministry of Interior (SEGOB)
Postal Address: Carretera Bucareli 99,
Colonia Juárez, Cuauhtemoc,
C.P. 06600, Mexico City, Mexico
Email: luisa.alcalde@segob.gob.mx
X: @Segob_mx / @LuisaAlcalde
Salutation: Dear Minister,
And copy:
His Excellency Carlos Manuel Joaquin Gonzalez
Ambassador
Embassy of the United Mexican States
45 O’Connor Street, Suites 1000, 1010 and 1030
Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4
Tel: (613) 233-8988, -9272, -9917 / 613-795-1868 (24h)
Email: infocan@sre.gob.mx
Alberto Amaro Jordán: A Journalist’s Fight for Survival
Alberto Amaro Jordán, a 35-year-old journalist from Atexcatzingo, Tlaxcala, near Mexico City, has faced severe threats since 2019. He has endured physical assaults, threats from police and alleged cartel members, a home break-in attempt, and gunfire at his residence. His family has been surveilled, his website hacked, and his name tarnished on social media.
Despite these risks, in August 2023, the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists deemed him safe and planned to remove his security detail. Amaro secured a court order to keep his bodyguards temporarily but remains unsure about future protection. He criticizes the Mechanism for underestimating the danger to him and his family.
Mexico remains the most perilous place for journalists in the Western Hemisphere. Since 2000, over 153 media workers have been killed, with at least 64 deaths directly linked to their reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) highlights Mexico’s high rate of unsolved journalist murders, placing it consistently among the top ten countries in its Global Impunity Index. This grim reality underscores the urgent need for effective protection for journalists like Amaro, who risk everything to bring truth to light.
Please take action as soon as possible until April 24, 2024! The UA will be duly updated should there be the need for further action.
