Mexico: 3 Abducted Journalists Released After Search Operation

Three Mexico journalists, previously abducted in the southern province of Guerrero, have been released unharmed following intensified search operations by authorities, as reported by the state attorney general's office.

The journalists, namely Silvia Nayssa Arce, Alberto Sanchez, and Marco Antonio Toledo, along with his wife, Guadalupe Denova, fell victim to armed abductions over the past week, according to Al Jazeera.

Toledo, the editor of the weekly newspaper El Espectador, was kidnapped on November 19 in the tourist town of Taxco, while Arce and Sanchez, reporters for the digital media site RedSiete, were abducted from their offices on Wednesday in the same city.

The state prosecutor confirmed the Mexico journalists' release but noted that Toledo's son, who was kidnapped along with his parents, remains missing.

The Mexican Army, police, and national guard will persist in search operations.

Search for the 3 Abducted Mexico Journalists

Authorities escalated efforts on Friday to locate the three abducted Mexico journalists in the south of Mexico, a region recognized as one of the world's most perilous for reporters, according to press freedom groups, Reuters reports.

The state attorney general's office in Guerrero announced on Thursday its investigation into the disappearance of five individuals in Taxco, the tourist town where the abductions occurred.

Carlos Monge, communications chief for the attorney general's office, disclosed that searches would be reinforced through collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, including the state prosecutor's office, state police, National Guard, and the Army.

Fifteen vans with personnel were dispatched from the state capital to Taxco to aid in the efforts.

Article 19, an international free-speech group, reported that witness testimony indicated five armed men forcibly entered the home of Marco Antonio Toledo, director of El Espectador de Taxco, taking him, his wife, and son.

The organization highlighted Toledo's history of threats and harassment due to his reporting on politics and security.

Arce and Sanchez, leaders of the digital platform RedSiete, were kidnapped by armed men at the platform's central Taxco offices on Wednesday, according to witness testimonies.

Arce's sister made a public plea for assistance through a video on social media, emphasizing the need to bring her family members back.

Mexico: One of the Deadliest Countries for Journalists

Tragically, the recent abductions add to the grim statistics of journalist casualties in Mexico, per WION.

Earlier this month, Ismael Villagómez, a photographer for Heraldo de Juarez, was found fatally shot in the driver's seat of a car in Ciudad Juarez, marking the fifth journalist killing in 2023.

The United Nations condemned Villagómez's killing, urging a thorough investigation.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay emphasized the chilling effect such attacks have on independent journalism and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.

In 2022, Mexico witnessed the killing of 13 journalists, the highest number since records began in 2000, according to reports.

Guerrero, the province where the recent abductions occurred, is notorious for gang activity and crime, with armed groups frequently resorting to kidnappings for ransom.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

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