The award recognizes more than three decades of contributions to the training, excellence, and strengthening of Ibero-American journalism.
Jaime Abello receives the award from La Voz director Carlos Jornet.
Photo: La VozBogotá, Colombia (October 23, 2026) – Fundación Gabo received the Inter American Press Association’s (IAPA) 2026 Great Friend of the Press Award today during the second day of the IAPA’s 82nd General Assembly, being held in Bogotá. Jaime Abello, the foundation’s director general and co-founder, accepted the award on behalf of the institution established by Gabriel García Márquez in 1994.
Presenting the award, Carlos Jornet, the IAPA’s first vice president, highlighted the foundation’s work in training journalists and building a professional community committed to ethics, rigor, and innovation. “Its contribution goes far beyond training. Fundación Gabo has helped sustain an ongoing conversation about ethics, quality, innovation, and the future of our profession,” he said.
Jornet emphasized that the foundation’s workshops, seminars, fellowships, gatherings, festivals, and awards have supported thousands of journalists and built bridges among newsrooms, mentors, and new generations.
He also recognized Abello’s leadership of the institution since its inception. “Jaime, your commitment, perseverance, and ability to bring journalists together around the most important questions facing our profession are also an essential part of this recognition,” he said.
“On behalf of Fundación Gabo, I accept the Great Friend of the Press Award with deep gratitude and with the emotion of someone who has devoted a large part of his life to a cause we share with you: defending and strengthening journalism,” Abello said.
“I am determined to continue giving my very best to ensure the foundation’s continuity. I firmly believe in the enduring relevance of the mission Gabo entrusted to us and in the need to carry it forward into the future,” he concluded.
The Great Friend of the Press Award is one of the IAPA’s institutional honors. It recognizes organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to strengthening and advancing journalism in Ibero-America.
