Three Mexican presidential candidates have signed a pledge to protect press freedom in Mexico, where more than 150 journalists have been killed since 1994, the rights group Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday.
Leading ruling party candidate Claudia Scheinbaum followed opposition candidates Xochitl Gálvez and Jorge Álvarez Maínez in signing the document ahead of Sunday's elections, according to RSF.
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Three Mexican presidential candidates have signed a pledge to protect press freedom in a country where more than 150 journalists have been killed since 1994, human rights group Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday.
Leading ruling party candidate Claudia Sheinbaum followed opposition candidates Xochitl Gálvez and Jorge Álvarez Maínez in signing the document ahead of Sunday's elections, according to RSF.
“This action is a sign of political will that we welcome and paves the way for concrete cooperation with the next government to guarantee press freedom in Mexico,” said Arthur Romeu, RSF's Latin America director.
The group said the document also includes commitments to guarantee protection for journalists and address impunity for violent crimes against the media.
According to RSF, Scheinbaum has promised that if elected, he would set up a working group early next year to oversee the implementation of the pledge.
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Mexico is considered one of the most dangerous countries in the world for the press.
At least 38 journalists have been killed in Mexico since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador took office in 2018, according to RSF.
The rights group has previously criticized President Lopez Obrador for not prioritizing media protection and for expressing “hostility” towards media activities, including in his daily press conferences.
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