The IAPA Announces the Winners of its 2026 Awards for Excellence in Journalism

María Lorente, chair of the IAPA Awards Committee and regional director for Latin America at Agence France-Presse (AFP), stated that “the quality of the entries submitted this year was extraordinary and reflects the vitality, rigor, and capacity for innovation of the best journalism being produced in the Americas.”

She added that the jury faced a particularly difficult task due to the high caliber of the entries, “which addressed some of the most relevant issues for our societies with depth, creativity, and commitment.”

“These awards also recognize the tremendous effort made by journalists and media outlets to continue producing quality information in an increasingly complex and challenging environment,” Lorente added.

The awards consist of a certificate of recognition and, in most cases, a stipend of $2,000.

Details of the winning entries in each category:

IN-DEPTH JOURNALISM (sponsored by Clarín, Buenos Aires, Argentina).

Winner

“The Price of Progress: The Dark Side of Critical Minerals in the Amazon,” by Juan Torres, Bram Ebus, Arianna de Sousa-García, Natalie Barusso, Daniela Castro, Emily Costa, Fábio Bispo, Hyury Potter, Isabela Granados, Joseph Poliszuk, María de los Ángeles Ramírez; Amazon Underworld, Colombia.

For documenting, through extensive fieldwork and international collaboration that combines reporting, visualizations, and analysis, the control that organized crime exerts over the mining of critical minerals in the Amazon.

Honorable Mentions

“Anatomía de un cerco,” by Gabriela Villarroel, Andrés Dimas, Saúl Hernández Alfaro, Elizabeth Arce, Alejandro Gómez, Diego Gómez, César Cortez, and Cristian Flores; Focos TV, El Salvador.

“La barredora guinda: red de factureras de Adán Augusto,” by Valeria Nohemí Durán, Raúl Olmos, Lucía Vergara, Iván Cerón, Paola Calvo, Erick Retana, Emmanuelle Hernández, Ollin Rodríguez, Janine Bacquerie; Mexicanos contra la corrupción e impunidad, Mexico

OPINION (sponsored by El Mercurio, Santiago, Chile).

Winner

“¿Volver a Caracas?”, by Catalina Lobo-Guerrero; El País-América, Colombia.

For portraying the political uncertainty in Venezuela through an intimate and universal reflection on exile, belonging, and the possibility of return. A personal, elegant, and restrained prose that weaves together nostalgia and political analysis without succumbing to sentimentality.

Honorable Mentions

“El domingo, Nisman va a estar muerto”, by Héctor Gambini; Clarín, Argentina.

“El negacionismo del stronismo frente a la evidencia científica en el Paraguay”, by Eduardo Quintana; Ciencia del Sur, Paraguay.

INTERVIEW “ALEJANDRO MIRO QUESADA GARLAND” (sponsored by El Comercio, Lima, Peru).

Winner

“Arturo Pérez-Reverte con Hugo Alconada Mon: ‘Hay lugares de los que nunca se vuelve”, by Hugo Alconada Mon; La Nación, Argentina.

For presenting, with intelligence and depth, an exceptional conversation with Arturo Pérez-Reverte, in which ideas about history, literature, and power are explored.

Honorable Mentions

“Hablan los exjefes de la Oficina de Envigado en proceso de paz: “Apoyamos a varias alcaldías de Medellín”, by Camilo Alzate González; Revista RAYA, Colombia.

“María Corina Machado: ‘La posición de Estados Unidos y otros aliados pesa en mi decisión de volver”, by Boris Muñoz; El País-América, United States.

NEWS COVERAGE OF CURRENT EVENTS (sponsored by Infobae).

Winner

“Luta Busca: familiares desaparecidos”, by Rebeca Cardoso Ligabue, Alfredo Henrique, Rebeca Ligabue, Rafaela Lima, Érica Montenegro, Gui Prímola, Lara Abreu, Daniel Ferreira, Michael Melo, Rodrigo Freitas, Victor Sansil, Douglas Macedo, Fernanda Sousa, Fabio Leite, Márcia Delgado, Otto Valle, Olívia Meireles, Lilian Tahan; Metrópoles, Brazil.

For providing exceptional coverage of missing persons through an exemplary combination of investigative reporting, testimonies, data, and visual elements. The narrative quality and outstanding use of multimedia are particularly noteworthy.

Honorable Mentions

“Serie Brote de hantavirus en Ushuaia”, by Fabiola Czubaj, Fabián Marelli; La Nación, Argentina.

“Serie Empresas, crimen organizado y lavado de activos”, by Miriam Ramírez, Silber Meza, Daniela Guazo, Valente Rosas, Miguel Ángel Garnica; El Universal, Mexico.

ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM “ROBERTO EISENMANN Jr.” (sponsored by La Prensa, Panama).

Winner

“Países Minados II”, by Sol Lauría, María Teresa Ronderos, Rigoberto Carvajal, Emiliana García, Mercedes Agüero R., Noelia Esquivel Solano, Ernesto Rivera, José Pablo Román Barzuna, David Chavarría, Hulda Miranda; Concolón, CLIP y Voz Guanacaste, Panama.

For exposing, through a collaborative cross-border investigation, the impact of illegal mining and organized crime on Latin American ecosystems. It stands out for its regional scope, use of multiple sources, and highly rigorous investigative methodology.

Honorable Mentions

“Serie Terra do Meio”, by Ma. Cristina Ávila da Silva; Correio Braziliense, Brazil.

“Serie SED: la otra cara del negocio agroexportador”, by Fabiola Torres López, Paul Tuesta Vargas; Salud con Lupa, Peru.

“CLAUDIO PAOLILLO” AWARD FOR JOURNALISM ON MIGRATION (sponsored by La Silla Rota, Mexico).

Winner

“Ada and Her Family Fled El Salvador. She Died Alone in the New Mexico Desert”, by Lillian Perlmutter; Rolling Stone, United States.

For explaining, through rigorous research and compelling storytelling, the structural flaws in the U.S. immigration system. It stands out for humanizing an extremely complex issue.

Honorable Mentions

“Morir fuera de Nicaragua”, by Juan Carlos Bow; Confidencial, Costa Rica/Nicaragua.

“Crise na Venezuela aumenta ameaca a Territorio Indigena em Pacaraima”, by Rafael Moro Martins, Bruno Kelly; Sumaúma, Brazil.

PODCAST (sponsored by Agence France Presse, AFP)

Winner

“Angelina vuelve: la historia y las luchas de una bombera chiquitana”, by Jhulissa Michelle Nogales Cardozo, Mijail Miranda Zapata, Angelina Rodas Surubí, María Rosario Rodas Surubí; Muy Waso, Bolivia.

For depicting, through research, context, and immersive storytelling, a deeply moving human story: how community firefighters battle fires despite lacking essential safety equipment.

Honorable Mentions

- “Esto es Venezueling, desde Venezuela”, by Adriana Núñez Rabascall, Nicole Kolster; Venezuela.

- “Involuntários: uma investigação sobre as comunidades terapêuticas”, by Hebert Lenin, Pedro Hugo, Evellyn Lima, André Bezerra; Rádio CBN João Pessoa, Brazil.

- PHOTOGRAPHY (sponsored by La Prensa Gráfica, San Salvador, El Salvador).

Winner

"Serie Colombia golpeada por ataques antes de las elecciones”, by Santiago Saldarriaga Quintero; The Associated Press, Colombia.

For its powerful visual coverage of electoral violence in Colombia, portrayed with sensitivity, impact, and journalistic rigor.

Honorable Mentions

“Series about the Camp Mystic summer camp tragedy”, by Ronaldo Schemidt; Agence France Presse, United States.

“Aquí lloran en Guatemala los deportados de Trump”, by Carlos Barrera; El Faro, El Salvador.

VIDEO (sponsored by Fundación Carlos Freire, Riobamba, Ecuador).

Winner

“Río Colorado: la disputa por el agua en tiempos de sequía”, by Alejandro Melgoza Rocha, Omar Sánchez de Tagle, Íñigo Arredondo Vera, Paloma Lafuente Clark, Rubén Mondragón, Marcos García Alvarado, Williams Castañeda, Evelyn Alcántara, Erick Ruiz, Andrea Salinas, Luis Villegas, N+Focus /Vix-Univisión, Mexico.

For presenting, through field research, a variety of testimonies, a cross-border perspective, and visual storytelling, a powerful account of the environmental and humanitarian crisis affecting Mexico and the United States.

Honorable Mentions

“El Plateado: soldados resisten en una guerra sin tregua”, by Eduardo A. Contreras Monroy; Caracol TV, Colombia.

“Nuevas drogas: veneno más letal en Ecuador”, by Bessy Granja Barriga, Michael Rendón, Hernán Higuera; Ecuavisa, Ecuador.

DATA JOURNALISM (sponsored by Grupo de Comunicaciones Corripio, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic).

Winner

“Radiografía del Poder: una cobertura interactiva para entender las elecciones del Perú en 2026”, by Gisella Salmón Salazar, Lorena Obregón, Mayté Ciriaco, Héctor Villalobos, Armando Scargglioni C., Angela Peña, Marcelo Hidalgo; El Comercio, Peru.

To provide, through a detailed and rigorous analysis of sources, a profile of the 89 members of Congress running for reelection in Peru, including not only their political careers but also information on their family backgrounds, income, expenses, debts, net worth, and education.

Honorable Mentions

“Archivos desclasificados”, by Bautista Otero, Ignacio Grimaldi, Nicolás Cassese, Mariana Trigo Viera, Aníbal Greco, Florencia Rodríguez Altube, Florencia Coelho, Gabriela Miño, Cinthia Savoy, Elfriede Suárez, Martín Pascua; La Nación, Argentina.

“El dengue explota las bajas defensas de los gobiernos”, by Oscar Emilio Godoy, Jonathan Palma, Jorge Rodríguez; Connectas, Mexico.

ILLUSTRATION AND INFOGRAPHICS (sponsored by El Tiempo, Bogotá, Colombia).

Winner

“Artemis II”, by Candela Heredia, Valentina Ravera, Pablo Loscri, Diana Agustina Fernández, Ezequiel Brahim, Nicolás Cassese; La Nación, Argentina.

For making a technical topic about the conquest of space accessible through a combination of journalistic rigor, creativity, and visual storytelling.

Honorable Mentions

“Candidatos presidenciales”, by Juan Pablo Bravo Zamora; El Mercurio, Chile.

“Pesadilla americana: operativos del ICE”, by Leonardo Parra; CasaMacondo, Colombia.

COLLEGE JOUNALISM (sponsored by the Latin American Council for the Accreditation of Education in Journalism and Communication CLAEP).

Winner

“La lucha libre como escape y sueno en Ecatepec”, by David G. Martínez Rodríguez; Corriente Alterna, Mexico.

For presenting a professional-quality multimedia report based on field research, documentary evidence, and numerous testimonies.

Honorable Mentions

“Glaciares: una identidad formada por el tiempo”, by Daniela Villegas Vargas, Silvia Alejandra Bravo Urrea, Eimy Sophia Ariza Ruiz; Plaza Capital, Colombia

“Verdades sob custodia”, by Rodrigo Osorio Forgiarini, Cecília Madruga Filappi; Revista Sextante, Brazil

INTER AMERICAN JOURNALISM WITH AN EQUALITY PERSPECTIVE (sponsored by the Inter-American Commission of Women).

Winner

“Silenciadas: Os bastidores de reportagens sobre crimes sexuais”, by Cristina Fibe Gambirasio; Revista Piauí y Audible, Brazil.

For offering, through extensive and rigorous field research and the use of a variety of firsthand and documentary sources, a fresh, bold, and original perspective on sexual violence. The excellence of the scripts, narration, editing, and sound design stands out, resulting in an immersive, accessible experience with great narrative power.

Honorable Mentions

“Hablemos de todo sin filtro”, by María Ayuso; La Nación, Argentina.

“Sin mujeres no hay pesca: siete historias de pescadoras que rompen barreras en Latinoamérica”, by Michelle Carrere, Antonio Paz, Laila Abu Shihab Vergara, Itzel Chan, Miguel Cocom, Francisco Velásquez, Melani Coyoy, María Celeste Maradiaga, Thalíe Ponce, Vanesa Romo, Irina Dambrauskas; Mongabay Latam, Chile.

Previously, the IAPA announced the recipients of its institutional awards as follows:

Chapultepec Grand Prize to the Constitutional Court of Costa Rica. In recognition of case law that strengthens media pluralism and citizens’ right to information.

Grand Friend of the Press Award to the Gabo Foundation, Colombia, in recognition of three decades of contributions to excellence, training, and the strengthening of Ibero-American journalism.

Executive of the Year Award to Pilar Gil, in recognition of her leadership at the helm of PRISA Media.

2026 Grand Prize for Freedom of the Press to The New York Times for its steadfast defense of constitutional guarantees, independent journalism, and society’s right to be informed in the face of mounting pressures.

The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.