As a journalist, I believe that the situation of Nicaraguan journalists who have been exiled and stripped of their nationality is alarming. The government led by Daniel Ortega has made it impossible for independent communicators critical of the system to exist in Nicaragua. This has led to the extinction of many journalists who once practiced journalism in their country.
The high cost of living in countries such as Costa Rica, the United States, or Spain, where many Nicaraguan journalists have gone into exile for security reasons, also contributes to the decline in independent journalism in Nicaragua. Many journalists have had to find alternative jobs to survive in their new countries of residence. Despite the difficulties, a few journalists continue their work from exile, including the director of the 100% Noticias platform, who served six months in prison in 2019 as part of the press repression in Nicaragua.
For exiled journalist Lucía Pineda, practicing journalism in Nicaragua has become a living hell. She expressed that her experience as an independent communicator critical of the system has been one of constant persecution and fear for her safety. The sociopolitical crisis that has been ongoing since April 2018 has led to fewer voices reporting on the situation due to repression by the Nicaraguan State, controlled by Ortega and his wife Rosario Murillo.
Pineda now holds Costa Rican nationality and has lived there for five years but highlights that identifying oneself as a non-governmental journalist in Nicaragua without being considered an enemy of the Ortega and Murillo regime is impossible. The situation has led to at least 253 journalists and media workers from Nicaragua being forced into exile with at least 56 media outlets being closed or confiscated by the government since the crisis began in 2018.
The repression of journalists in Nicaragua has worsened press freedom in the country according to veteran journalist Sergio Marín. He criticized Daniel Ortega’s dictatorship for its aggressive actions against Nicaraguan journalism, including media confiscation and mass exile of journalists. Despite these challenges, Marín believes that independent media outlets will continue to connect with audiences