Oscar Martinez: 'Journalism is indispensable'
Gabriel Gonzalez Zorrilla | Alba Amaya
05/03/2023May 3, 2023
Editor-in-Chief Oscar Martinez combats violence and corruption in El Salvador with investigative journalism. Deutsche Welle has awarded him the Freedom of Speech Award 2023.
A journalist who writes about topics such as the drug trade, corruption and organized crime in Central America lives in constant threat, Oscar Martinez told DW. Harassment runs the gamut from "physical violence, defamation from politicians and businessmen," to "harrassment of our families, exile, death, prison."
Oscar Martinez is one of Latin America's most renowned investigative journalists. Time and again, his reports have caused public sensation. Born in El Salvador in 1983, he is editor-in-chief of the Central American digital news outlet El Faro (The Lighthouse). Founded in El Salvador in 1998, El Faro started as a no-budget project and quickly became a leading investigative outlet in Latin America that stood for independent and courageous journalism in a region often deemed one of the world's most dangerous.
Critical journalism under attack in El Salvador
In recent years, the situation for journalists in El Salvador has dramatically worsened. Since assuming office in 2019, President Nayib Bukele has repeatedly attacked and threatened journalists critical of the government. He has blocked a number of them on social media platforms, and made an attempt to discredit the press as an enemy of the people.
More:
https://www.dw.com/en/oscar-martinez-journalism-is-indispensable/a-65465368
