Established on June 7, 1951, by newspaper editors and the then President of the Republic, Miguel Alemán Valdés, this date commemorates Freedom of Expression Day to highlight the importance of a free and independent press for the benefit of a true Mexican democracy.
Freedom of expression is a basic, constitutional, fundamental, inherent, and necessary right to human nature, enshrined in articles 6 and 7 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States and in the international sphere within article 19 of the Declaration of Human Rights of 1948.
Within the framework of this date, the National Human Rights Commission (CNDH) highlighted that freedom of expression is an essential right of any democratic regime, for which its full and free exercise demands the generation of adequate conditions so that journalists and media of communication can make use of it safely.
On April 30, 2021, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (CNDH), and former president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, addressed a letter to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico with various proposals on human rights issues for our country, in order to have a comprehensive action plan.
She also highlighted the need to protect those who practice journalism against any kind of violence, especially women journalists, and demonstrate greater commitment to those who make up this union to ensure that they can carry out their work free from intimidation, harassment, and/or attacks, as well as a further improvement of the Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists.
The CDNH highlighted the importance of remembering that governments are obliged to protect the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive and disseminate information of all kinds on the Internet and traditional media, including information on public health or any other topic.
With information from OEM
