On Thursday, prosecutors revealed that a trio of journalists, accompanied by two of their family members, fell victim to abductions by armed individuals in the strife-ridden state of Guerrero, Mexico. Press organizations have long labeled Mexico as one of the most perilous countries for journalists globally, even rivaling war zones in terms of danger.
According to the prosecutor’s office in Guerrero state, the abductions occurred between Sunday and Wednesday in Taxco, a historic town frequented by tourists. On Sunday, one journalist was taken captive alongside his wife and adult son, while a married journalist couple faced a similar fate on Wednesday.
The Afternoon Chronicle, an online news outlet based in the nearby city of Chilpancingo, disclosed that its reporter in Taxco, Marco Antonio Toledo, had previously received threats earlier in the year from a drug cartel. The cartel had explicitly instructed Toledo not to publish a particular story. Toledo had recently covered a local corruption case as well.
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Expressing concern, The Afternoon Chronicle urged authorities to locate Toledo, emphasizing that the region had been silenced by drug cartels. The news outlet noted that, in the past, other journalists facing similar threats had been kidnapped by drug cartels, prompting them to seek refuge in other parts of the state or even in different states for their safety.
