Introduction
Throughout this year, one of the most persistent accusations against the ruling party in Mexico has been censorship. Journalists have reported various acts aimed at silencing opinions or hiding investigations that inconvenience high-level public officials. These acts range from direct attacks against journalists in official public forums, such as the morning conference or Tuesday’s Jaguar, to legal actions against media and reporters, as well as initiatives for legislation to control the information disseminated through radio, television, and the internet.
The Deepening Censorship Issue
While Mexico already had a serious problem of physical violence against journalists, the acts of censorship mentioned here originate directly from authorities. This exhibits the gravity and depth that the problem has reached, becoming structural. Censorship is being formalized.
Officials like Layda Sansores, Rocío Nahle, or even the President herself have categorically denied any censorship in Mexico, as if simple denial erases facts. Censorship never announces itself by name. There’s no need to repeal Article 6 of the Constitution or explicitly prohibit freedom of expression for censorship to exist. We don’t need a “Censorship Law” to acknowledge that in Mexico, free criticism of the government is no longer possible.
Censorship is gradually constructed through acts that slowly reduce the margin of opinion, limit access to information, and eventually inhibit freedom of expression. Journalists learn that colleagues have been sued or imprisoned for their opinions, or that a media outlet was condemned to withdraw a report, causing them fear in publishing their own work. Citizens who wanted to protest learn that other protesters were arrested for doing so, causing them to abandon plans to attend marches.
Key Events of 2025
- April: Morena presented an initiative for secondary legislation to regulate telecommunications and broadcasting. The bill contained articles that openly allowed the blocking of digital platforms under arbitrary conditions and required government pre-review of any content from abroad. The law was approved with minor changes three months later.
- July: Layda Sansores successfully obtained an official censor for the newspaper Tribuna and journalist Jorge Gonzalez, requiring prior review of any information published about her. The Electoral Institute of Tamaulipas ordered journalist Héctor de Mauleon to remove content from his column that highlighted links between the Judicial Power and fuel theft.
- October: Morena initiated the process to approve a new law on extortion. The law was approved with an overly broad and ambiguous definition of the crime, which could encompass almost any government critic, risking imprisonment.
- November: Several attendees of a demonstration by Generation Z and the Sombrero Movement were arrested for “attempted homicide.”
- December: The Veracruz Attorney General arrested journalist Rafael León for terrorism, accusing him of “producing alarm, fear, and terror in the population.”
These events demonstrate that 2025 has been a year of setbacks for freedom of expression in Mexico.
Key Questions and Answers
- Q: What is the main accusation against the ruling party in Mexico? A: The persistent accusation is censorship, with journalists reporting various acts aimed at silencing opinions or hiding investigations that inconvenience high-level public officials.
- Q: How has censorship been formalized in Mexico? A: Censorship has been formalized through acts originating directly from authorities, gradually reducing the margin of opinion and limiting access to information, inhibiting freedom of expression.
- Q: What significant events occurred in 2025 related to censorship? A: Key events include the approval of a law allowing the blocking of digital platforms, official censorship imposed on journalists and media outlets, an overly broad extortion law definition, arrests during protests, and the arrest of a journalist for terrorism.
