Serving Central America, Cuba and The Caribbean

June 6, 2019

Exiled Nicaraguan Journalists

Costa Rica

The project enables independent exiled Nicaraguan journalists to report more broadly on what is happening in Nicaragua with focus on violations of human rights. The project strengthens independent media capacity of Nicaraguan journalists and their ties with regional media associations, thus contributing to increase political participation, civil society formation, democratic strengthening, and citizen empowerment.

The project objective is to create a sustainable media platform for Nicaraguans and other audiences to share information and analysis regarding Nicaragua human rights abuses, authoritarianism, and resulting issues such as poverty and food insecurity in Nicaragua. Through this effort, the project safeguards an isolated element of Nicaragua’s independent media through the increased effectiveness, capacity and security of the exiled journalists. The project promotes freedom of the press and free flow of information and creates an open space for Nicaraguan civil society and citizens to express concerns, political opinions and aspirations for the country’s future. The project supports defending and strengthening democratic processes and an independent media. The project protects one of the last bastions of independent Nicaraguan media, allows more accurate and timely dissemination of information to citizens and decision makers, and generates greater awareness of basic human rights, and standards of good governance and democratic principles among the Nicaraguan audience.

Political turbulence, violence and repression have compounded the plight of already beleaguered independent journalists who were then harassed and even murdered. Many of the exiled journalists continue the struggle for democratic reform by working through underground efforts, while hiding from an authoritarian state that is methodically tracking down those who participated in or supported the protests against the Ortega/Murillo government. Many are living in temporary shelters and others in homes of good Samaritans in Costa Rica.