Mexico’s Legal Tactics Against Critics

In Mexico, the political elite has increasingly resorted to lawfare tactics against journalists, cartoonists, and even everyday citizens who dare to create or share memes online. This trend, alarming in its implications, has gained momentum as the ruling party, Morena, has consolidated its power and amended laws to stifle dissent. A recent example is the enactment of a law that bans the use of memes under the pretext of protecting the unauthorized use of someone’s likeness or political satire. This law not only targets individuals but also holds social media platforms accountable for not removing such posts.

Known as the Anti-meme law, it has faced severe backlash from press freedom advocates, who argue that the legislation is vague and subject to misuse, potentially allowing for broader censorship of criticisms against the government.

This week brought further attention to the issue when a Mexican court ruled in favor of Congresswoman Itzul Barrera in her case against cartoonist Francisco Navarrete. Navarrete had drawn a satirical piece mocking Barrera’s proposal to impose a hefty tariff on avocados to prevent exports to the U.S. The court decided that he had infringed gender laws by depicting her in a way that exposed her legs.

While this incident marks a troubling escalation, such lawfare practices have been ongoing in prior years, particularly under the Morena administration. For instance, in 2024, a citizen named Carla Maria Estrella, with no ties to media, was penalized and compelled to use social media to issue a public apology to Diana Karina Barreras after she ridiculed Barreras’ candidacy. Estrella had criticized Barreras’ qualifications, suggesting her only advantage was being married to a politician connected to the Morena and PT alliance. The court ultimately found that Estrella had breached Mexico’s gender laws.