Journalists from Nicaragua, Mexico and Panama are now among the 54 professionals from Latin America in the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).
The ICIJ, the collaborative network behind investigations like the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers, welcomed 18 new members on April 29. There are now 249 journalists in more than 90 countries in the group.
In Latin America, 19 countries are represented.
Octavio Enríquez, a journalist and editor of La Prensa in Nicaragua, was among those chosen for the new cohort. The winner of many prizes, including the Ortega y Gasset Journalism award, he “has published numerous investigations about corruption and abuse by longtime Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his inner circle,” according to ICIJ.
Daniel Lizárraga, chief of investigations at Mexicanos contra la Corrupción y la Impunidad, is also a new member. He is the co-author of “La casa blanca de Enrique Peña Nieto,” which won the Gabriel García Márquez Journalism Award in the coverage category. He is also co-founder of Animal Político and Quinto Elemento Lab.
And Mary Triny Zea, journalist in the investigative unit of La Prensa, is now the sole ICIJ member in Panama. "Her reports have been considered ‘notitia criminis’ (grounds for criminal investigation) by Panamanian authorities,” and she won the country’s National Grand Prize of Journalism in 2018, ICIJ noted.
“The network committee works hard to select credible professional journalists in places that until now may have missed out on the opportunity to become part of the ICIJ network,” said Minna Knus-Galan, chairperson of the ICIJ network committee, according to an organization press release. “On behalf of the committee, I’d like to welcome the new members and look forward to working with them."
