Controversy Surrounds Acapulco Mayor Over Alleged 900 Million Peso Scandal
In a controversial ruling, the Electoral Tribunal of the State of Guerrero (TEEGRO) has sanctioned the news outlet Acapulco Trends and its director, Jesús Gabriel Castañeda Arellano, for gender-based political violence. This decision, made on July 23, 2025, has sparked a national debate over the use of gender-based violence laws to suppress investigative journalism.
The sanction stemmed from reports published by Acapulco Trends in June 2024, which questioned the use of 898 million pesos tied to post-hurricane reconstruction efforts by Mayor Abelina López Rodríguez. López Rodríguez filed a complaint with TEEGRO, claiming the coverage violated her political rights as a woman. On August 20, 2024, TEEGRO ruled partially in her favor, ordering Castañeda to issue public apologies for 15 consecutive days, pay fines totaling over 22,000 pesos, and complete a gender perspective training course.
Organizations like Artículo 19 and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have warned that such rulings could set dangerous precedents for press freedom in Mexico. They argue that the ambiguous language of gender-based political violence laws has the potential to restrict journalistic freedom, especially when investigations delve into corruption or political disputes.
This case is not an isolated incident in Mexico. The country has seen an increasing use of gender-based political violence laws, originally intended to protect women from systemic violence and machismo, but which have sometimes been employed to silence critics, including journalists and political opponents.
Moreover, the Mexican government under President Claudia Sheinbaum has enacted laws that empower authorities to block digital platforms and restrict online content without judicial oversight, citing reasons including combating cyberbullying. Critics argue these measures may threaten press freedom and have led to increased vexatious lawsuits against journalists from politicians, akin to SLAPP suits.
In the broader Latin American context, journalists face high levels of violence and targeted killings in 2025, underlining the dangers for the press when reporting on corruption, political issues, and criminal networks. The use of legal and political mechanisms to criminalize protest and public dissent in Mexico is also evident in other cases, such as that of Kenia Hernández, where charges have been used against social activists, indicating a pattern of restricting political expression and dissent.
In summary, while there is no detailed publicly available account from these results on the specific gender-based political violence case involving Acapulco Trends and Jesús Gabriel Castañeda Arellano, the situation fits into a wider pattern in Mexico where gender-based political violence laws and restrictive digital legislation intersect with political control and censorship, raising significant concerns about press freedom and the use of legal tools to suppress journalistic and political criticism. This forms important precedents for understanding ongoing struggles over media freedom and political violence in Mexico.
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