Former Nicaraguan President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro died Saturday, June 14, at the age of 95. In addition to her contributions to politics, her legacy in defending free expression and independent journalism left a lasting mark on the country’s recent history.
Barrios de Chamorro took on a key role at the newspaper La Prensa after the 1978 assassination of her husband, journalist Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, who had led the publication. She became a leading voice denouncing the Somoza dictatorship and later emerged as a strong critic of the Sandinista regime. During the 1980s, La Prensa was shut down five times over its independent stance, including one closure that lasted from June 1986 to September 1987.
After leaving office in 1997, Barrios de Chamorro founded a nonprofit bearing her name, dedicated to promoting free expression, democracy and national reconciliation. Her fight for a free press continued through her family, who have also faced repression under the current regime of President Daniel Ortega.
Read original article (in Spanish)
