Mexico: RSF condemns the murder of journalist Kristian Zavala, the second journalist killed under state protection in 2025
Journalist and manager of the Facebook news page El Silaoense Mx, Kristian Zavala, was assassinated on 2 March 2025 in Silao, Guanajuato, in what appears to be a targeted execution. The driver of the vehicle transporting him was also killed. These murders are yet another stain on Mexico, where the ongoing press freedom crisis has made journalism one of the country’s most dangerous professions. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) strongly condemns this crime and calls for an immediate and thorough investigation to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Kristian Zavala, 28, was shot multiple times on the night of 2 March while inside a vehicle in the Condado de la Pila neighborhood of Silao. His driver, Axel Yahir, was also killed. Armed assailants approached on a motorcycle and opened fire before fleeing, a common method used for targeted executions in Mexico.
Zavala was the founder and director of El Silaoense Mx, a Facebook news page with 18,000 followers covering local politics and public security. The journalist had previously received threats and had been under the local government protection scheme since 2021. His murder comes just weeks after the killing of Global México journalist Calletano de Jesús Guerrero, who was murdered on 17 January in Teoloyucan, in the state of Mexico, despite being under federal protection since 2014.
Kristian Zavala’s murder is an alarming sign of the challenges facing journalist protection mechanisms in Mexico. He is the second journalist killed while under state protection in 2025. These murders not only highlight the risks reporters face but also underscore the urgent need for real reforms in protection mechanisms. We urge authorities to conduct a transparent, efficient investigation and hold those responsible accountable. The Mexican government cannot continue allowing impunity to reign while journalists are hunted down one by one. RSF reiterates its call to President Claudia Sheinbaum to urgently strengthen the Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists and to establish the working group announced in 2024 to ensure journalists’ safety. The systematic violence against the press must stop.
During her presidential campaign, Claudia Sheinbaum pledged to RSF that she would strengthen journalist protections in Mexico and combat impunity for crimes against the press. In a letter sent to the NGO before her election, she committed to improving the federal journalist protection mechanism, implementing public policies ensuring reporters’ safety, and effectively combatting violence against them. Based on these commitments, her government has presented an initial plan that focuses on legislative action and includes proposals to strengthen the legal framework necessary to uphold independent journalism.
Mexico ranks 121st out of 180 countries and territories in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index and remains the most dangerous country for journalists outside of war zones.
