RSF Assessment Finds Limited Progress on Mexican Government’s Press Freedom Pledges

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presented an assessment in Mexico on 21 October 2026 indicating that President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration has fulfilled fewer than a third of its press freedom commitments two years into her term. According to the advocacy organisation, 18 journalists were killed in Mexico during the first two years of the presidency, averaging one murder per month since the start of 2026.

During an RSF mission led by Director General Thibaut Bruttin, representatives met with Mexico's Interior Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez to review the 22 commitments Sheinbaum made to the organisation in 2024. RSF reported that only 27% of these pledges showed any progress, with none considered significant. The group stated that of the 22 commitments, one showed positive progress, five saw insufficient progress, ten showed no verifiable substantive progress, two experienced institutional regression, and four could not be assessed due to insufficient information.

Following the presentation, Rodríguez acknowledged delays in implementing the commitments and reaffirmed the administration's intent to accelerate action. Alongside Ruth Zenteno López, head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Crimes against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE), and Tobyanne Ledesma Rivera, head of the Federal Protection Mechanism, the interior secretary identified two priorities: conducting a case-by-case review of murdered journalists' cases through FEADLE to address impunity, and accelerating the decentralisation of protection policies to individual states.

RSF also met with Attorney General Ernestina Godoy, who committed to expanding training for prosecutors on press freedom issues and placing the topic on the agenda for a 2027 session of the Conference of Attorneys General.

In its detailed findings, RSF noted that the Federal Protection Mechanism's budget rose nominally by approximately 6.7% between 2025 and 2026, and 386 public servants received training on preventive measures. However, the organisation reported no substantial improvements to the mechanism's overall structure, noting that attacks and killings have continued even after victims reported threats.

RSF also expressed concerns over the fight against impunity, citing data showing that between July 2010 and June 2026, FEADLE initiated 1,909 investigations into offences against journalists, resulting in 53 convictions, of which 11 involved murders. The organisation stated that full resolution has been achieved in less than 1% of documented journalist murder cases. Additional concerns raised by RSF included the December 2024 closure of the National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information and Protection of Personal Data (INAI) and the transfer of its duties to an executive-linked body, as well as the ongoing use of public statements disparaging critical media outlets.

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