The Latin American Conference of Investigative Journalism (COLPIN, by its Spanish acronym) held the Javier Valdez Award ceremony, one of the most prestigious awards for investigative journalism in Spanish, on the evening of Oct. 25, in Madrid.
First place went to “Operación Cacería” (Operation Hunting), a TV report by Venezuelan journalist Ricardo Calderón, which recounts the abduction of several opponents of Nicolás Maduro's regime. Second place was awarded to “Redes de Nicotina: nuevos productos, viejas tácticas” (Nicotine networks: new products, old tactics), a collaborative investigation carried out by a team of 20 journalists from the media outlets Salud con Lupa, CLIP, ColombiaCheck, The Examination (U.S.), Agência Pública (Brazil) and ChequeaBolivia. This report revealed how the tobacco industry, under pressure from declining smoking rates and an uncertain financial future, is promoting alternative nicotine products.
Third place was shared between two investigations: “Caso Hermosilla, el audio que sacudió al país” (Hermosilla case, the audio that shook the country), by Chilean Nicolás Sepúlveda; and “Rehenes de la ley. Investigación especial sobre la práctica del Sippenhaft en Venezuela” (“Hostages of the Law. Special investigation on the practice of Sippenhaft in Venezuela"), by Patricia Marcano and Joseph Poliszuk.
