Background on the Journalist and Governor
Jorge Luis González Valdez, a former director of the Campeche-based newspaper Tribuna, has been linked to legal proceedings against Governor Layda Sansores. The 70-year-old journalist and Isidro Yerbes, representing the Organization Editorial del Sureste (the newspaper’s publishing company), were accused of inciting hatred and violence against the governor.
Legal Proceedings and Charges
On June 13, Judge Guadalupe Martínez Taboada decided to bind González Valdez and Yerbes over to trial for allegedly committing the offenses of inciting hatred and violence against Governor Sansores, who filed the complaint.
The judge deemed that both the journalist and the media outlet were subjected to an attack and harassment not due to their professional work but rather because of the governor’s physical appearance and personal actions. Despite González Valdez’s defense presenting evidence of his retirement and lack of direct involvement in the media outlet, the judge still found him guilty of “alleged offenses against the governor.”
Penalties and Consequences
As a result, the judge ordered that both González Valdez and Yerbes suspend all journalistic activities for two years as a form of preventive detention. González Valdez will continue his trial under house arrest, subject to conditions such as regular sign-ins with the judicial authority and a two-million-peso fine to Walter Patrón Bacab, the state director of Communication Social, for alleged moral damage.
The affected parties have expressed concern that these legal actions by the state government create a “ominous future” for independent journalists, similar to the situation in Puebla where the Ciberseguridad Law was recently approved.
Ciberseguridad Law in Puebla
The approval of this reform occurred amid controversy surrounding an anonymous account on the X platform called “Aldea Poblana,” which has consistently criticized Puebla’s authorities.
Activist groups like Artículo 19 and the Red de Periodistas have warned that this reform could be arbitrarily used against citizens, particularly journalists, media outlets, and activists. They explained that these legislative changes provide the Puebla government with tools to identify and penalize its critics.
Key Questions and Answers
- Who are the main individuals involved? Jorge Luis González Valdez, a former director of the Campeche newspaper Tribuna, and Isidro Yerbes, representing the Organization Editorial del Sureste.
- What are they accused of? Inciting hatred and violence against Governor Layda Sansores of Campeche.
- What penalties have been imposed? Both González Valdez and Yerbes are bound over to trial, with a two-year suspension of journalistic activities as preventive detention.
- What is the Ciberseguridad Law in Puebla? A recently approved reform that has raised concerns about potential arbitrary use against critics, including journalists and activists.
