[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 12, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3241-S3242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  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:

                              S. Res. 702

       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;

[[Page S3242]]

       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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