"Idiot," "crazy," "bitch," "call girl" and "shameless" — these are just some of the insults that Salvadoran journalist Wendy Monterrosa regularly receives through her social media accounts.
Monterrosa, co-founder and director of the investigative journalism platform Voz Pública, has more than 20 years of experience in television and is one of the most visible faces of journalism in El Salvador.
In the first three months of last year , she was also the most attacked Salvadoran journalist on social media, according to a report on gender-based digital violence published by the Association of Journalists of El Salvador (APES).
Since President Nayib Bukele took office in 2019, El Salvador has experienced a severe decline in access to information and an increase in harassment against media professionals. But it is the country’s female journalists who have carried the brunt of attacks. Online violence against women – unlike against their male counterparts – contains a significant element of misogyny and lesbophobia. Nearly one in five comments against women journalists involve sexual violence, the APES found.
Wendy Monterrosa, co-founder and director of the investigative journalism platform Voz Pública. (Photo: Courtesy)
"The attacks are more intense and cruel toward women," Monterrosa told LatAm Journalism Review (LJR). "Defamation and slander often focus on our appearance."
In 2021, investigative journalist Gabriela Cáceres from the digital outlet El Faro worked alongside reporters Óscar and Carlos Martínez on an investigation that uncovered negotiations between President Nayib Bukele’s government and gangs.
The phones of all three reporters were hacked using Pegasus spyware. However, Cáceres, unlike her male colleagues, received rape threats and other sexual assaults.
"They were also attacked, but most of the messages they received were mockery or bullying, not sexual in nature like mine," Cáceres told LJR. Additionally, doctored images of her alongside gang members were circulated on social media.
Since last year, Cáceres has also faced attacks related to a temporary disability. “I had an accident that left me in a wheelchair, and that adds another layer of vulnerability,” she said. “When I published an investigation about Bukele’s brothers, I even received comments telling me I should stay in a wheelchair.”
And it’s not just female journalists who are targeted—women sources also face similar risks.
Gabriela Cáceres, investigative journalist from the digital outlet El Faro. (Photo: Courtesy)
"Once, I interviewed a magistrate who had been openly critical, and when the article was published, all the comments against her on social media were about sex," said Cáceres. "I have to prepare and warn them that this can happen."
Cáceres said these attacks have deep cultural roots. "El Salvador is a highly sexist society,” she said. “At the same time, the attackers feel emboldened by the president."
During the Bukele administration, journalists have faced increasing judicial persecution, espionage and censorship.
Investigative reporting has even confirmed the existence of government-run troll farms used to manipulate political discourse online.
"The government uses its entire communication apparatus to attack journalists," Monterrosa said. "And by ‘entire,’ I mean lawmakers’ accounts, officials, supporters, political operatives and YouTubers"
Claudia Ramírez, news editor at La Prensa Gráfica, has 11,000 followers on X. Whenever she publishes a report on the government or comments on the country’s situation, she may receive hundreds of intimidating messages.
"These are orchestrated attacks," Ramírez told LJR. "They come from accounts with few followers and no identifiable photos or names."
On Feb. 3, Ramírez tweeted: "We couldn't be a tech or crypto powerhouse, so let's be a mega-prison instead." This was in response to Bukele offering to accept deportees from the U.S. of any nationality, including American citizens, into Salvadoran prisons.
Claudia Ramírez, news editor at La Prensa Gráfica. (Photo: Courtesy)
Her post received 65,000 views and over 140 replies, with insults ranging from "fifth-rate journalist" to "shut up, bitch."
"I can’t say for sure whether these trolls are paid. But sometimes, it seems like they run out of budget because they disappear for a while," Ramírez said. "Right now, they’re active because there are many issues on the table. Attacks also increase during elections."
For several years, investigative journalist Karen Moreno, who specializes in gender issues, has chosen to minimize her online presence because of regular attacks.
"Media prostitute"—this is just one of the insults APES recorded against her in its digital violence report. Moreno is the second-most attacked journalist in El Salvador.
Karen Moreno, investigative journalist who specializes in gender issues. (Photo: Marvin Romero).
"I decided to stop sharing my opinions publicly or limit how much I promote my own investigations," she told LJR. "The hate messages have been overwhelming. I try to ignore them, but even with my background in gender studies, it affects me."
Beyond posting less on social media, Moreno restricts who can reply to her posts and avoids sharing personal information. "Once, someone took photos from my Instagram, made them public, and claimed I was dating someone from the opposition," she recalled.
She also recommends therapy as a way to process these experiences and prevent them from affecting other aspects of life.
Some journalists have even limited their going out in public physical interactions out of fear that threats could turn into real-life violence.
"I’ve stopped going to certain places and try to work from home as much as possible. I only go out when absolutely necessary," Monterrosa said. "Fear is real, and that’s part of this government’s strategy—using fear as a tool to paralyze us."
