On May 3rd, World Press Freedom Day, the photo exposition, “The Silenced: Fighting For Press Freedom in Mexico” opened in London at The Guardian. That same day in Veracruz, the bodies of news photographers Gabriel Huge Córdova, Guillermo Luna Varela, and former news photographer Esteban Rodríguez were found dismembered in a canal in Boca del Río. The three men became unfortunate additions to the group of Mexican journalists, “The Silenced,” who have been killed by the lethal coexistence of violence and impunity.
“The Silenced: Fighting For Press Freedom in Mexico” was organized by The Guardian in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), CAFOD, and UNESCO, and commemorates reporters in Mexico who have lost their lives in pursuit of the truth. The project, which has become an interactive website (http://fightingforpressfreedom.com/) hosted by PROEXPOSURE, includes the portraits and stories of murdered Mexican journalists.
The strong visual impact of this project transmits the human reality of press freedom in Mexico, placing faces on the numbers which are often cited in an almost scientific manner. Scrolling through what seems like the weight of a never ending page, the portrait of each murdered journalist looks back at you and stands as a testament to their experience and story.
Each story not only serves as a small act of remembrance, but also commemorates the courage and bravery demonstrated by “The Silenced,” the journalists who have lost their lives, as well as the journalists who continue to pursue the truth despite the risks.