[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 702 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 702
Condemning violence against journalists in Mexico and expressing
support for strengthening deterrent, protective, and accountability
measures to prevent violence against journalists and safeguard the
freedom of the press in Mexico.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 12, 2022
Mr. Menendez (for himself, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Bennet, Mr.
Wyden, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Hickenlooper, and Ms.
Klobuchar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to
the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning violence against journalists in Mexico and expressing
support for strengthening deterrent, protective, and accountability
measures to prevent violence against journalists and safeguard the
freedom of the press in Mexico.
Whereas the United States and Mexico share extensive economic, security,
cultural, and democratic ties, especially a mutual commitment to
respecting and promoting universally recognized human rights, democratic
values, and the rule of law;
Whereas freedom of the press is an essential component of democratic governance,
as recognized in the Inter-American Democratic Charter, done at Lima
September 11, 2001, and journalists should have the right to report the
news objectively, in safety, without retribution or threats thereof;
Whereas attacks against journalists and other media workers is a significant
concern for freedom of the press and human rights in Mexico, especially
among journalists and other media workers who report on public
corruption and illicit activities and are frequently subject to threats,
coercion, intimidation, surveillance, forcible relocation, violence, and
even death;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, more than 150 journalists have
been killed in Mexico since 2000;
Whereas, according to Reporters Without Borders, Mexico was the most dangerous
country in the world outside a war zone for journalists for the third
consecutive year in 2021 and ranked 127 out of 180 countries in the
World Press Freedom Index in 2022;
Whereas, as of 2022, the Committee to Protect Journalists has documented 15
cases of missing reporters in Mexico, the highest number of any country
in the world;
Whereas, in 2022, at least 12 extrajudicial killings of journalists have
occurred in Mexico, including the killings of--
(1) Jose Luis Gamboa Arenas on January 10;
(2) Alfonso Margarito Martinez Esquivel on January 17;
(3) Maria Guadalupe Lourdes Maldonado Lopez on January 23;
(4) Roberto Toledo Barrera on January 31;
(5) Heber Lopez Vasquez on February 10;
(6) Jorge Luis Camero Zazueta on February 24;
(7) Juan Carlos Muniz on March 4;
(8) Armando Linares Lopez on March 15;
(9) Luis Enrique Ramirez on May 5;
(10) Yessenia Mollinedo Falconi on May 9;
(11) Sheila Johana Garcia Olivera on May 9; and
(12) Antonio de la Cruz on June 29;
Whereas at least 9 of the 12 journalists murdered in Mexico in 2022 were killed
in direct connection with their work, according to Reporters Without
Borders;
Whereas the President of Mexico, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has sometimes
demonstrated hostility towards the free press and enabled an unsafe
working environment for independent journalists by regularly, publicly
disparaging and intimidating journalists who are critical of the
policies of or investigate corruption related to associates of his
administration;
Whereas perpetrators of violence against journalists in Mexico are rarely held
to account, with Mexico ranking among the countries with the most
unsolved murders of journalists per capita and more than 95 percent of
crimes against journalists in the country going unpunished, according to
the International Federation of Journalists;
Whereas initiatives taken thus far by the Government of Mexico to address
violence against journalists, namely the creation of the Federal
Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists
(referred to in this preamble as the ``Federal Protection Mechanism'')
in 2012, have not achieved stated goals and have been marred by
significant implementation issues, according to a March 2019 report by
the Washington Office on Latin America, including--
(1) insufficient financial and human resources;
(2) inadequate risk analysis and protection protocols;
(3) limited transparency and oversight; and
(4) limited coordination between local, State, and national entities;
Whereas the decision by President Lopez Obrador to eliminate independent funding
for the Federal Protection Mechanism in October 2020 has the potential
to further exacerbate the resource constraints of the Federal Protection
Mechanism and undermine the ability of the Federal Protection Mechanism
to protect at-risk journalists and other human rights defenders;
Whereas, as a result of a failure to rectify recognized issues with the Federal
Protection Mechanism, at least 9 journalists have been killed while
receiving protection in Mexico, with the majority of such journalists
killed during the tenure of President Lopez Obrador, according to Human
Rights Watch;
Whereas the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights in Mexico have expressed concerns about
violence against journalists in Mexico, asserting that ``impunity in
attacks against journalists fosters further violence against reporters
and may inhibit the exercise of freedom of expression'', and offered
recommendations to address such concerns;
Whereas, on March 10, 2022, the European Parliament passed a resolution on the
situation of journalists and human rights defenders in Mexico; and
Whereas the United States Government has expressed concern about violence
against journalists in Mexico and demonstrated a willingness to assist
the Government of Mexico in strengthening human rights protections and
freedom of the press: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) expresses unwavering commitment to and support for
strengthening deterrent, protective, and accountability
measures to prevent violence against journalists and safeguard
the freedom of the press in Mexico;
(2) condemns consistently high levels of violence against
journalists in Mexico, including recent and ongoing spikes in
extrajudicial killings and high levels of impunity for such
violence;
(3) encourages the Government of Mexico--
(A) to strengthen efforts to protect the free press
and journalists, including by--
(i) committing sufficient resources to
address threats to the free press and
journalists; and
(ii) tailoring protection measures to
account for the specific challenges of
conducting journalistic work;
(B) to ensure a thorough and impartial
investigation into all threats of violence reported by
journalists and the provision of immediate access to
protective measures for journalists who make such
reports;
(C) to refrain from actions and statements that
create a more hostile environment for the free press
and journalists;
(D) to pursue public awareness campaigns to
recognize and elevate journalistic work and the freedom
of the press;
(E) to pursue effective measures, in close
coordination with local and State entities and civil
society organizations, to strengthen deterrent,
protective, and accountability measures to address
violence against journalists; and
(F) to conduct comprehensive and transparent
investigations into the deaths of journalists to ensure
all responsible parties are prosecuted to the fullest
extent of the law;
(4) encourages further efforts by the Government of
Mexico--
(A) to address deficiencies within the Federal
Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
and Journalists (referred to in this resolution as the
``Federal Protection Mechanism'');
(B) to bolster the capability of the Federal
Protection Mechanism to achieve its stated purpose; and
(C) to develop additional measures that incorporate
relevant recommendations by civil society groups, the
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, and the Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights to safeguard journalists and the free
press;
(5) supports efforts by civil society groups, the United
Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and
the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights--
(A) to monitor violence against journalists and
media workers in Mexico;
(B) to provide technical assistance and other
support to the Government of Mexico to address concerns
about such violence; and
(C) to disseminate accurate information on the
state of freedom of the press in Mexico; and
(6) calls on the Department of State and United States
Agency for International Development to prioritize the
protection of the media and efforts to prevent, investigate,
and prosecute cases of violence against journalists in
diplomatic engagement with, and foreign assistance to, Mexico.
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