In a significant development, three journalists who had been abducted in the violence-ridden state of Guerrero, Mexico, have been released and located by law enforcement forces. Silvia Nayssa Arce, Alberto Sánchez, and Marco Antonio Toledo were liberated through strengthened search operations and the joint efforts of state and federal authorities, as reported by the Guerrero State Attorney General’s Office.
The release also included Guadalupe Denova, the wife of journalist Marco Antonio Toledo. However, the couple’s son, Alberto Toledo Denova, who was kidnapped alongside his parents, remains missing. The Guerrero State Attorney General’s Office assured that the military, police, and Mexican National Guard personnel “continued search operations” to locate him.
Marco Antonio Toledo, director of the local weekly El Espectador and correspondent for various media outlets, was abducted on November 19 in the city of Taxco. On November 22, Arce and Sánchez, reporters for the online platform RedSiete, were kidnapped in the same locality.
Mexico, deemed one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalism by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has witnessed a distressing trend of attacks on journalists. The killing of El Heraldo de Juárez’s photojournalist, Ismael Villagómez, on November 16 in Ciudad Juárez further underscores the perilous environment for media professionals. Authorities have made three arrests in connection with Villagómez’s murder. As these incidents unfold, concerns persist over the safety of journalists working in Mexico.