Mexico: Investigative journalist and author Lydia Cacho María Ribeiro’s home attacked

MEXICO, PUERTO MORELOS, June 23 — The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the gruesome attack on our colleague Lydia María Cacho Ribeiro’s home.

Reportedly, several unidentified individuals broke into the Mexican investigative reporter’s home in Puerto Morelos. The perpetrators killed two of the journalist’s dogs during the break in. Lydia’s reporting equipment, including her laptop, audio recorder, memory cards, cameras and hard drives were also stolen.

The Federal Special Prosecutor for Attention to Crime Committed Against Freedom of Expression’s office, Ricardo Sánchez Pérez del Pozo, confirmed that an investigation has been opened.The blatant manner of the attack must not only be condemned but should provoke real action on the part of the authorities. The fact that Lydia’s reporting data was also stolen shows that this was not a simple burglary. We urge the authorities to take the attacks on journalists seriously and do more than issue statements of condemnation. Lydia’s work as a journalist has helped highlight on several aspects of sex trafficking, some even shedding light on politicians that have been complicit in the crimes.

Ixchel Cisneros Soltero, CFWIJ Mexico and Latin America Manager, spoke about the attack, and the state of journalism in Mexico. “The authorities are not really interested. They do not really work on gender issues and this mechanism does not work,” she said.

“Support networks have emerged from the journalist community but no support has been by the authorities. We feel helpless because the institutions do not work and the networks are not enough,” she added.Mariana Martinez Estens, an independent multimedia journalist based in Tijuana, Mexico, also condemned the attack on Lydia’s home.

“The attack on Lydia Cacho is just a symptom of the kind of vulnerability that a lot of journalists, human rights activists and people in the Mexican society — who are facing powerful criminals that are intertwined into our system — face,” she said.

She further added that the attack was a way to let Lydia know that if she keeps going down the path she’s on, there would be consequences.

“The consequences are violent attacks at a persona level like killing her pets. What else could be seen as a very clear threat to her life?” Mariana said.

Protection is tricky in Mexico because a lot of journalists don’t trust the government. “Personally, it would not be my first line of defense. It is a strange position where a lot of journalists don’t ask for help and don’t get it. But there are others who do and get downplayed or ignored, since there’s lack of capacity or political will. The protocols are just a joke,” Mariana said.

CFWIJ’s Director of Global Advocacy Sulome Anderson also found the attack on Lydia’s home alarming. “The attack is absolutely reprehensible. It was clearly done to stop her from the incredible work on sex trafficking. Her bravery in the face of these threats and attacks is absolutely inspiring but Mexican authorities should do everything they can to stop further attacks.” she said.

“Unfortunately, it seems that the Mexican authorities cannot be trusted to do everything in their power to stop what’s going on with her. They absolutely need to dedicate more resources and more attention to this case because she is one of their high profile female journalists and it looks very bad for them to have these attacks go on,” she added.

Talking about the vulnerable state of women journalists in Mexico, Sulome said that women’s work often challenges patriarchal and misogynistic practices which in turn puts them at greater risk.“

They face more danger because of their position as women and the work they are doing to challenge their governments and the corruption that’s going on,” she said.CFWIJ calls on Mexican authorities to take strict action against the culprits and ensure Lydia’s safety. The Mexican government needs to take urgent action to ensure the safety and dignity of all journalists in the country, especially women journalists.

###

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ.

Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org