Breaking Away from UNESCO: Nicaragua's Defiant Move over Press Freedom Prize
Nicaragua Exits UNESCO Following Recognition of Opposition Newspaper
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Nicaragua has made a bold move and decided to depart from UNESCO after the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) bestowed the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize on an opposition newspaper within the country. The Central American nation's decision was announced by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in Paris.
Azoulay voiced her disappointment over this decision, stating, "I lament this choice as it deprives the people of Nicaragua of the gains from a collaboration that particularly extends to education and culture." UNESCO takes pride in fostering press freedom, including through the Press Freedom Prize, which La Prensa received this year. Founded in Nicaragua in 1926, La Prensa has demonstrated courage in delivering truth to Nicaraguan citizens, despite facing heavy repression, much like other civil society organizations. Since the arrest and exile of its leading staff in 2021, La Prensa continues to operate online.
Ranked 172nd out of 180 countries by Reporters Without Borders in terms of press freedom, Nicaragua faces significant issues in this area. With only a handful of countries currently not part of UNESCO, the organization now consists of 193 member states following Nicaragua's withdrawal.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the government crackdown on dissent and independent media has escalated in Nicaragua since the 2018 anti-government protests. La Prensa, one of the few remaining critical voices against the regime, operates largely in exile. The government's withdrawal from UNESCO can be linked to their disapproval of UNESCO's portrayal of La Prensa as a beacon of press freedom amid "severe repression." This move comes as part of a series of 2024–2025 constitutional reforms that established Nicaragua as a "revolutionary socialist state." These reforms criminalize opposition and grant the presidency extensive powers to suppress speech deemed to threaten "public order."
UNESCO Director-General Azoulay criticized the withdrawal, reiterating the organization's commitment to defending global press freedom. This development further isolates Nicaragua amid ongoing international scrutiny of its authoritarian governance.
- The community policy in Nicaragua may face changes as the country has withdrawn from UNESCO following the UNESCO Director-General's announcement of their decision to award the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize to a local opposition newspaper.
- Journalists and reporters covering general news should take note that Nicaragua's departure from UNESCO could impact its employment policies, as the organization has been instrumental in fostering press freedom.
- As Nicaragua's withdrawal from UNESCO is linked to the organization's portrayal of La Prensa as a beacon of press freedom amid "severe repression," it is possible that the benefits of collaborations with organizations like UNESCO, particularly in education and culture, may be affected.
- In the context of war-and-conflicts and politics, the move by Nicaragua to withdraw from UNESCO can be seen as a strategic move to suppress criticism, as the government's constitutional reforms have criminalized opposition and granted the presidency extensive powers to suppress speech deemed to threaten "public order."
