With Bodies Piling Up, the War on Mexican Journalists Has No End in Sight

With a press freedom index on par with the United States as recently as 10 years ago, the Mexican press has since been stifled, caught in the crossfire of drug violence and government corruption.

Photos of killed journalists and cameras outside the Veracruz state representation office during a journalists protest in Mexico City on Feb. 11, 2016. Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

During Pope Francis’ recent tour of Mexico, he denounced the country’s illicit drug trade, while calling for social programs to lift up the poor.

One thing he didn’t explicitly touch on: the precarious situation Mexican journalists find themselves in. In fact, on Feb. 9—four days before the pope’s arrival—the body of El Sol de Orizaba crime reporter Anabel Flores was found on the side of a highway. It was the third murder of a Mexican journalist in 2016.

In the crossfire of drug violence and government corruption, Mexico is one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists.