Mexico's Supreme Court rejects journalist's appeal for expanded protection after cartel threats

The Mexican Supreme Court has denied journalist Myrna Susana Gómez Vázquez an expanded protection order. Gómez Vázquez had sought enhanced security measures after facing threats from the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel in 2019, which led to her forced displacement from Guanajuato.

The journalist argued that her existing protections were insufficient given the ongoing risks she and her two minor daughters face. The case reached the Supreme Court after the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists rejected her appeal, citing it was filed beyond the 30-day deadline stipulated in the law.

However, the court's plenary session, with a majority vote, upheld the rejection. The presiding minister, Loretta Ortiz Ahlf, argued that the time limit serves a legitimate constitutional purpose and ensures certainty regarding protection measures. The court concluded that denying the appeal did not violate Gómez Vázquez's rights to access justice or protection.

This ruling has been criticized by press freedom organizations, with Prensa Cimac calling it a "lost opportunity" to strengthen protections for journalists in Mexico. Gómez Vázquez had previously expressed that the Segob's Protection Mechanism removed essential support like housing, forcing her into what she described as a "tormented judicial process."

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La Justicia de la Unión no ampara ni protege a la parte quejosa contra el artículo 57, fracción II, de la Ley para la Protección de Personas Defensoras de Derechos Humanos y Periodistas