"Last Friday, April 10, journalist Gabriel Jesús Chan Uicab was physically assaulted and kept from reporting by two officers from the Yucatán Public Security Secretariat in Dzununcán, Mérida.
Chan, a reporter for Diario de Yucatán, had gone to cover a car accident at the kilometer 6 overpass of Mérida’s peripheral road. The incident allegedly involved Luis Felipe Saidén Ojeda, head of the public safety secretariat. Upon arriving, Chan saw police officers placing traffic cones, which, according to his account, were intended to “control traffic in the area.” Seeing no clearly marked perimeter, Chan approached the scene to begin recording.
An officer then told him he could not take photos and asked him to leave, citing the placement of the cones. When he attempted to continue reporting, another officer approached him, tried to take his phone and pushed him. At that point, the deputy traffic secretary, Jesús Novelo Chan, intervened to stop the officer from continuing the assault. However, Chan said the commander wrapped an arm around his torso and forcibly moved him away from the scene."
This excerpt was translated with AI assistance and reviewed by Jorge Valencia.
