"UNESCO Honors Exiled Nicaraguan Newspaper 'La Prensa' with Press Freedom Award"
Spotlight on La Prensa: A Chronicle of Courageous Journalism Amidst Authoritarian Suppression
Last weekend, the historic Nicaraguan daily newspaper, La Prensa, clinched the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize. This prestigious award comes during challenging times as the paper's editorial team has been forced into exile due to the government's relentless repression.
Launched in 1926, La Prensa boasts a rich history rooted in the nation's political struggles, notably during the Somoza dynasty and the current Ortega-Murillo regime. Despite ideological tensions, the paper has served as a reliable opposition voice.
Under the Ortega-Murillo regime, however, La Prensa faced mounting repression. Economic strangulation, including newsprint import restrictions and tax audits, hobbled the newspaper's operations. Direct attacks peaked in 2021, when police stormed its headquarters, confiscated equipment, and jailed manager Juan Lorenzo Holmann. This forcing the newsroom into exile, scattering its staff across countries like Costa Rica, Spain, Mexico, the U.S., and more.
Holmann, upon learning of the award, reacted with honor and gratitude, stating, "In Nicaragua, there's no independent journalism - it's criminalized. Practicing it has become a sacred duty." He further emphasized that the prize wasn't just for La Prensa but for all independent journalists enduring the struggle.
Yasuomi Sawa, head of the jury, praised La Prensa's courageous efforts to disseminate truth to the Nicaraguan populace. The paper, now publishing online from abroad, bravely keeps the flame of press freedom burning.
Nicaragua currently ranks 172nd out of 180 in Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, a testament to the continued hardships faced by the independent press in the country.
La Prensa's 2025 UNESCO Guillermo Cano Prize underscores its resilience as a global symbol of press freedom. The newspaper's exile has catalyzed the formation of new media landscape, with outlets like Nicaragua Actual (a YouTube-focused platform) emerging to cover diaspora issues. However, the psychological toll of exile and separation from family remains a significant challenge for reporters.
- Holmann, now working from exile in Costa Rica, thanked the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize committee, emphasizing that the award represented not just a recognition for La Prensa, but for all independent journalists in Nicaragua who continue to face repression in 2023.
- Despite the newspaper's editors having fled Nicaragua, La Prensa's online publication from abroad maintains its commitment to covering general-news and politics, remaining a beacon of press freedom in a country ranked 172nd out of 180 by Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index.
- In light of La Prensa's exile, the vibrant diaspora journalist community has grown, with new platforms like Nicaragua Actual on YouTube actively covering the nation's events and issues in 2023.
- As a Nicaraguan journalist in exile, Holmann expressed his vocation to stand against authoritarian suppression, seeking solace in the knowledge that the spirit of La Prensa, though physically displaced, continues to inspire and guide those working to uphold press freedom within and outside the country.
