México, what the hell is going on? I learned recently about the murder of journalist Roberto Toledo, the fourth media worker gunned down in México in less than a month: José Luis Gamboa, Margarito Martínez, Lourdes Maldonado, and now Toledo. He worked for Monitor Michoacán, a news outlet that had been reporting on stories about the movement of Indigenous communities for self-government, organized crime operating in the area, and payoffs to a corrupt local government to allow illegal logging.

Working as a journalist in México has long been a matter of life and death. At least 145 have been murdered since 2000. And you know what, gente? In 95 percent of these murders, no one has ever been held to account. Yes, you read that right: In 95 percent of these cases, the killers continue to walk the streets.

Under the PRI, the government set up a federal journalist “protection” program, to make it seem they cared about investigative journalists. The government now spends $23 million a year on this program, yet Toledo was still brazenly gunned down as he worked on his video column!

Mexican journalists are fighting back. On January 25, they organized rallies and vigils throughout México to protest the murders of their colleagues and demand an end to the disgraceful record of impunity that gives a green light to their killers. Without journalists, the people can never know the truth about corruption, environmental destruction, and organized crime, never learn about the brutal murders of women, and the violation of Indigenous rights.

The PRI and the PAN didn’t care if those who exposed their own corruption were eliminated. The AMLO administration has taken a much stronger stance in support of journalists, but, still, no assassin has yet been brought to justice.

Well, now our turn has come, gente, on both sides of the border. We need to stand with our courageous brothers and sisters who are demanding that México take stronger action to defend the lives of journalists, beginning with finding and prosecuting the killers who murdered Toledo and his colleagues. ¡Si, se puede!