"State prosecutors charged a journalist with terrorism over his reporting. A court ordered a columnist to delete an article linking a candidate to criminal networks. A judge barred a newspaper from mentioning a governor unless its content was reviewed by a court monitor.
These examples from the past year are part of a rising trend across Mexico: Politicians and officials are increasingly weaponizing the country’s laws to sue, fine and harass critics and journalists, according to press rights groups tracking legal cases. Civil, criminal and electoral cases have accused journalists of violating terrorism statutes, regulations on artificial intelligence or laws intended to shield women politicians from discrimination, among other things.
Mexico has long been one of the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, with nearly 180 killed since 2000. Now, through lawsuits and court orders, the Mexican press faces a new obstacle — less visible than death threats and bullets but also capable of silencing critics."
