Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. At least 13 journalists in Mexico have been victims of murder as of August, making 2022 the deadliest year yet for media workers. While organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have been investigating these murders, Mexican authorities and law enforcement officials have been slow to cooperate.

Government Opposition and Law Enforcement

Since 2000, Mexico has been an electoral democracy with regular voting periods. However, violence against journalists has restricted citizens from having full democratic freedoms and expression. According to Freedom House, “violence perpetrated by organized criminals, corruption among government officials [and] human rights abuses” contribute to journalist killings and restrictions on free speech.

With opposition from the new Mexican administration and authorities, violence against journalists has surged in recent years. President López Obrador, who took office in December 2018, called critical reporters “mercenaries” and “sellouts,” which the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) identified as a direct attack on Mexican journalists’ safety. Although the Obrador administration promised to “stop illegal surveillance” in 2018, the CPJ has found no new policies that would prevent authorities from spying on journalists.

Authorities in Mexico often leave journalist murders unresolved. According to the CPJ, there have been 28 unsolved cases of killed journalists since 2012. Journalist Fredid Roman died earlier in 2022. However, authorities did not provide much information on his killing or possible motives. Although Mexican authorities have completed more arrests related to journalist murder cases, there is no correlation to a higher conviction rate. According to Human Rights Watch, only six out of 105 journalist killing investigations since 2010 have resulted in homicide convictions.

Why Press Freedom in Mexico Matters

In even the most democratic nations in the world, there has been a growing trend toward pro-government media and biased reporting. For instance, the Indian government has discouraged anti-national speech and harassed critical journalists. Similarly, the threat of violence, murder and harassment against journalists has severely limited press freedom in Mexico. Accurate and honest reporting not only ensures Mexico’s democratic principles but helps to regulate poverty, the economy and government accountability.

Press freedom in Mexico is crucial for amplifying the voices of the poor through interviews, features or investigative stories. According to Panos London, the media can act as an “open forum for coverage and reflection of issues relevant to public audiences,” which fosters an exchange of ideas around poverty reduction. Without this amplification, poverty reduction strategies may have limited input and become less effective in practice.

Studies have also identified press freedom as a crucial tool in reducing the social and economic sources of poverty. The media can serve as a form of education, which encourages national and individual development. It also forces the government to create better policies through public accountability, which promotes higher access to basic needs, nutrition and medical care.

Press freedom in Mexico also has links to economic development. The Heritage Foundation reported a correlation between free economies and free press, with higher-income countries having higher rates of press freedom and vice versa. As the Atlantic Council states, “countries with a free press are more likely to support entrepreneurship, attract foreign investments, and have strong connections in the global market.”

Mobilizing Support for Journalists in Mexico

Journalists in Mexico have died for criticizing authorities, the government and problematic federal policies. For instance, the murder of reporter Antonio de la Cruz resulted from a crime against freedom of expression. Before the murder, state authorities had asked de la Cruz to remove some critical tweets against the state government. Protecting journalists in Mexico also means ensuring government accountability. Just as de la Cruz fostered transparency with his readers, other journalists in Mexico risk their lives to deliver accurate news to the public.

Local, national and international organizations have called upon the Mexican government for further policy action and journalist protection. The CPJ routinely releases articles requesting that Mexican authorities investigate and prosecute those responsible for journalist murders. However, there must be national and local support to make this a reality. As Mexican journalists continue to report reliable and truthful accounts of current events, organizations must mobilize support across the world to create a safer environment for them.

– Anna Lee
Photo: Unsplash

Corruption is one of the leading contributors to poverty around the world. In Latin America, one of the most notorious examples of this dynamic is Venezuela. Ranking at a bleak 14 out of 100 by the 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index – a rank of zero means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean – Venezuela’s notorious misconduct disproportionately impacts the nation’s poor.

The Relationship Between Corruption and Poverty

Corruption interferes with various key objectives of a functional government, such as the “allocation of resources, stabilization of the economy, and redistribution of income.” These objectives influence poverty both directly and indirectly.

According to a study by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), high levels of corruption reduce “economic growth, the progressivity of the tax system, the level and effectiveness of social spending, and the formation of human capital.” This ineffective distribution of wealth results in inequalities in almost all sectors. From education to asset ownership, these ramifications are affecting corrupt nations in all stages of economic development, regardless of their growth experience.

Furthermore, poverty and corruption are interdependent forces: “poverty invites corruption, while corruption deepens poverty.” Corruption is not only a cause of poverty, it prospers in it. Weak political, economic and social institutions allow for the easy exploitation of these systems.

Poor families and economically challenged businesses have few options, particularly when corruption infiltrates all levels of authority. Even small-scale extortion, like roadblocks on farming transport routes or threats of arrest to secure bribes, ensure that the poor stay poor. What is more, in highly corrupt countries, low-level officials often find themselves underpaid, and sometimes beholden to payments to higher authorities. “In such settings, bribery, extortion and theft become matters of survival.”

Corruption in Venezuela

In Venezuela, one can see the consequences of corruption everywhere and has been prominent for years, through various leaders. In 2015, Transparency International released some of its findings concerning the nation’s corruption and subsequent human rights violations.

One investigation uncovered that a state-owned company that imported powdered milk was illegally smuggling it into Colombia, despite a nationwide powdered milk shortage of more than 90%. Both the Venezuelan and Colombian militaries and customs authorities were complicit in smuggling efforts. This powdered milk was to go to underprivileged schoolchildren.

In 2005, the Venezuelan Supreme Court invested about $12 million in the land to build a complex of nearly 300 courts in a ‘Judicial City.’ A decade later, Venezuela has not built any courthouses, and no one has been charged or prosecuted. With millions of dollars gone and nothing to show for it, many wondered where those funds went.

A few years later, $2.24 billion went toward the purchase of more than 1 million tons of food, spearheaded by Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), a state-owned oil and natural gas company that had recently taken over a program that ensures sufficient food to Venezuelans. However, reports show that little more than 25% of the food was received, and of that, “only 14% of the food was distributed to those in need.” While there were calls for investigations, no investigations occurred.

Poverty in Venezuela

Criticism of the conduct of Venezuela’s government has only worsened under the leadership of Nicolás Madura, who has been President since 2013. The 2019-2020 National Survey of Living Conditions (ENCOVI) published research detailing the deteriorating conditions of basic infrastructure, education and the labor market since 2014.

In 2020, the United Nations estimated that 25% of the total population (roughly 7 million Venezuelans) were in dire need of humanitarian assistance in the same year that ENCOVI reported that a staggering 96% of the population lived under the poverty line. Access to water and electricity is consistently declining, and reports are now showing that roughly 90% of the population is without reliable electricity.

Unemployment under Maduro’s regime has skyrocketed, leaving many that worked in the formal sector to turn to alternative sources of income, which has been shown to correspond with a “steep rise in poverty in the country.” What is more, School attendance across the nation has dropped from 12.7 million children to 11 million, as children in impoverished families often opt for work instead of school, only furthering the cycle of poverty.

Conclusion

While corruption in Venezuela is not new, the country has taken some steps to hold officials accountable and counter the effects of corruption on the nation’s poor. Organizations have rallied in an effort to combat corruption around the globe, through initiatives like the Summit for Democracy and USAID’s Combating Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge. It has become clear that interagency and international cooperation are necessary to make the biggest difference.

The Executive Director of Transparencia Venezuela, Mercedes De Freitas, has called for all people to “take responsibility, denounce corruption and demand accountability.” She emphasized that silence allows the corrupt to continue to evade justice, and “only by victims and witnesses denouncing corrupt acts and individuals, is there a chance for…things to change for the better in Venezuela.” 

– Carly Ryan Brister
Photo: Wikipedia Commons