How State Agents Target Journalists the Government Claims to Protect: Stark Warnings from Mexico and Honduras

Julio Ortega Humberto Padgett was reporting on the effects of drought in Cuitzeo , a rural area of central Mexico , when his car was intercepted by armed men on September 13, 2024 .

He tweeted: Today I'm leaving journalism indefinitely. The losses I've suffered, the harassment and threats my family and I have endured have forced me to give up after 26 years of work..

Journalists in Mexico and Honduras struggle for protection and justice from the state in the face of growing challenges at both the domestic and international level.

Organized crime groups have deeply infiltrated the fabric of society in many parts of society, including politics, state institutions, justice, and law enforcement.

For both Padgett and Funes , the intimidation, threats, and attacks from organized crime groups often followed them reporting on state agents and their alleged links with such groups.

After an eight-month hiatus following the attack in Cuitzeo and its aftermath, he now feels ready to go back to reporting.

Despite the lack of state protection and all the other challenges, journalists like Padgett and Funes are determined to keep going.

Their commitment offers a ray of hope for the emergence of a truly free and independent media.