Demands for Reinstatement of Fired Mexican Journalist Growing

Thousands turned out in front of the MVS Radio studios in Mexico City Monday to call for the reinstatement of Carmen Aristegui along with her staff after news of her firing spread.

The protest was peaceful, with many blaming the government of President Enrique Peña Nieto for the dismissal of Aristegui and citing the journalist’s firing as proof of a lack of freedom of expression in the country. The journalist was responsible for the revelation that Peña Nieto, his wife and his finance minister had bought houses from a contractor who had secured massive government deals.

As demonstrators chanted “We are all Carmen!” and “You're are not alone!,” protesters delivered 170,000 signatures in support of the journalist and her team. The document was received by the academic Gabriel Sosa, who serves as ombudsman for MVS.

Acclaimed academics, journalists, celebrities and Aristegui herself attended the rally, saying she would continue the battle against this “threat” to freedom of expression and adding that Mexico is experiencing an “authoritarian windstorm and an abominable moment.”

Aristegui was fired late Sunday following a controversy after the launching of a web site called MexicoLeaks, a new experiment in free speech created by independent media organizations in order to share information to expose and investigate official corruption in the country.

According to MVS Communications, Aristegui – who is a founder of MexicoLeaks – and two of her collaborators used the name of Noticias MVS when announcing the launch of the site.

Journalists Daniel Lizarraga and Irving Huerta were fired last week, and Aristegui demanded MVS rehire her colleagues as a condition of continuing her four-hour news radioshow, the most listened to in Mexico. The company rejected her demand and instead decided to fire her.