On August 25th, 2011, Gilberto Martinez, a 48 year old former math teacher in the eastern coastal state of Veracruz, Mexico, tweeted out the message above. He also tweeted that he had personal knowledge and confirmation from his sister-in-law, whose children attend the school, that the information regarding the kidnappings was accurate. In addition, Maria de Jesus Bravo Pagola, a radio commenter and former government official, posted on Facebook of a helicopter shooting children at another school in the area.
The messages, which were inaccurate, are reported to have caused widespread panic and resulted in over 20 auto accidents. Angered Veracruz Governor Duarte de Ochoa quickly announced that he would seek terrorism charges against both Mr. Martinez and Ms. Bravo Pagola. In addition the Governor said, “The punishment for those who caused damages is not because they are Twitter users, but for the consequences that their irresponsible acts provoked.”
On August 26th, Mexican officials charged the pair with “terrorism and sabotage.” If convicted, they will spend up to 30 years in a Mexican prison. Maria de Jesus Bravo Pagola and Gilberto Martinez are currently being held in jail where they will remain until after their court appearance, which is scheduled for the end of this month.
While the messages sent through social media sites were inaccurate, the ensuing panic was primarily due to the lack of safety and the constant threat of violence throughout the area. Indirectly, Mexico’s inability to provide its citizens with safety and shut down the drug cartels is the true cause of the panic. Although there may be a need to prosecute individuals that spread false information, the charge of terrorism is greatly exaggerated and inappropriate.
The civil rights of international social media users must be protected to ensure the free flow of communication at all times.
