Attacks on the Press: Mexico
Group Exhibition

FEATURING:

Félix Marquez • Emmanuel Guillén Lozano • Francisco Robles • Mauricio Palos • Article 19

In recent years Mexico has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists with levels of violence unmatched by any country in the Western Hemisphere. Attacks and threats against journalists and photojournalists are a daily occurrence; assassinations are routine.

In the past seven years, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented over 50 Mexican journalists killed or disappeared; The Guardian newspaper puts the number at 100 killed in the past decade. 2017 was the deadliest year on record, with drug cartels and organized crime killing with impunity; 2018 is on course to be nearly as deadly. In some Mexican states, government officials are involved in intimidation and violence against journalists investigating official corruption.

Ninety-eight percent of all killings in Mexico go unsolved. In the case of deaths killings, convictions are nearly nonexistent. And Mexican authorities nearly always fail to establish a motive; journalists' slayings are blamed on street crime, personal vendettas, or simply listed as, "motive unknown." Since 2008, the rate of impunity has doubled. The killers know they will get away with their crimes, leaving Mexican journalists at terrible risk.

This exhibition features work by Félix Marquez, Emmanuel Guillén Lozano, Francisco Robles, Mauricio Palos and Article 19 examining attacks on the press throughout Mexico. At great personal risk, sometimes enduring violent threats, these four individuals have compiled evidence of a free press under attack in Mexico, and of the brave journalists who continue to shine light on misdeeds at the risk to their own lives.

In recent years, Mexico has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists with levels of violence incomparable with any country in the Western Hemisphere.Attacks and threats against journalists and photojournalists occur daily; murders are a routine.

In the last seven years, the Committee to Protect Journalists documented more than 50 Mexican journalists killed or disappeared; The Guardian newspaper figures the number of 100 dead in the last decade. 2017 was registered as the deadliest year, with drug cartels and organized crime killing with impunity; 2018 is on its way to being almost as deadly. In some Mexican states, government officials are involved in intimidation and violence against journalists who investigate administrative corruption.

Ninety-eight percent of all murders in Mexico remain unresolved. In the case of the murders of journalists, the sentences are almost nonexistent. The Mexican authorities almost never manage to establish a motive; The murders of journalists are blamed on street crime, personal vendettas, or simply listed as "unknown motive." Since 2008, the impunity rate has doubled. Assassins know that they will go unpunished for their crimes, leaving Mexican journalists at a terrible risk.

This exhibition presents works by Félix Márquez, Emmanuel Guillén Lozano, Francisco Robles, Mauricio Palos and Article 19 examining attacks on the press throughout Mexico. With great personal risk, sometimes with violent threats, these four people have collected evidence of a free press under attack in Mexico, and of the brave journalists who continue to clarify the crimes endangering their own lives.

Curated by Michael Kamber and Cynthia Rivera.
The Latin American Photo Festival is made possible by  Open Society Foundations ,  BronxCare Health System  and  BronxWorks . 

Photo credit: (top-bottom, L-R) 

Guerrero. © Emmanuel Guillén Lozano 

Vestiges is a project created as a catalog of objects recovered by the families of the reporters murdered during the last decade in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. The objects in this image are property of Yolanda Ordaz, who was murdered July 26th, 2011. The object in this image is property of Moises Sanchez, who was murdered January 2nd, 2015. © Félix Marquez