The operational environment for the free media in Central America deteriorated dramatically in 2025. Authoritarian governments in Nicaragua and El Salvador drove independent media outlets into exile, but journalists continued their work nonetheless and strengthened their regional cooperation
From the perspective of the free media, the operating environment in Central America was exceptionally difficult in 2025. In the countries where Vikes operates, the ruling family dynasty in Nicaragua and the authoritarian regime in El Salvador, in particular, have reduced the free media’s operating space to almost nonexistent.
Our Nicaraguan partner journalists have been forced to work from exile for several years now. Last summer, the entire editorial staff of our Salvadoran partner, El Faro, was also forced into exile.
“Silence is not an option,” El Faro declared on its front page as soon as the exile began.
In 2025, Vikes concluded that the best way to support the survival and sustainability of journalists and media outlets in the challenging conditions of exile was to strengthen regional cooperation networks among journalists, provide professional training, and support the production of high-quality journalism. Ensuring the safety of journalists was also of paramount importance, as pressure and threats against journalists continued even in exile.
Launching new journalism networks
Safe places for discussion and gathering proved to be particularly important for journalists living in exile.
For years, Vikes has supported Forocap, the Central American journalism forum organized by our partner El Faro. Last year, 30 Central American media organizations participated in this significant event, which featured 19 different discussion sessios. The forum attracted a total of 526 participants, of whom 332 were women and 194 were men. In addition, the event’s online content reached over 53,000 people.
Vikes’ support for the forum also enabled 12 Nicaraguan journalists living in exile (11 women and 1 man) to participate in events and workshops designed to enhance their professional skills in areas such as investigative journalism, freelance work methods and tools, storytelling, and photojournalism.
At the regional level, the Central American environmental journalism conference in Guatemala—a new initiative incorporated into Vikes' program—proved to be an important milestone in terms of building new types of networks.
The event brought together journalists (26 participants, including 19 women and 7 men) and communications professionals from various Central American countries to share their experiences and discuss the region’s environmental situation and the state of environmental journalism. An unexpected outcome of the meeting was the formation of a regional environmental journalism network, whose members committed to long-term cooperation and cross-border journalism.
Networks of female journalists grew stronger
Over the course of the year, collaboration among women-led media outlets also grew stronger. Our partner, La Sala—a network of Nicaraguan women journalists—is emerging as a prominent regional player that is already producing joint content on the environment, politics, and gender equality.
In the autumn of 2025, La Sala organized the first regional forum for women journalists in leadership positions in Central American media, bringing together 15 participants from Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala. The forum strengthened regional networks and cooperation among media outlets led by women journalists, particularly on issues related to human rights, the environment, and gender equality. The next, larger meeting is planned for the fall of 2026.
New training courses on leadership, document management, and environmental journalism
In 2025, the position of female journalists was particularly strengthened through training and leadership training, in addition to networking. The cooperation helped reduce the professional isolation of female journalists in the current situation, where independent media and journalists are under strong pressure. At the same time, female-led media increased their visibility on regional digital platforms and strengthened their common publishing channels.
A new training event was held in Costa Rica: a two-week master class on documentary filmmaking led by YLE journalist Pertti Pesonen for 11 Nicaraguan refugee journalists. The course was a success, and it was therefore decided that this initiative would continue in the fall of 2026, when a shorter advanced course will be held in Costa Rica and a longer basic course in Guatemala.
A “Voices of the Earth” training program for local journalists was held in eastern Guatemala. It consisted of four sessions covering climate change, agroecology, climate monitoring, and narrative tools for environmental journalism. The training strengthened local reporters’ technical skills and their ability to analyze environmental issues in areas that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. At the same time, it fostered a more in-depth journalistic discussion of environmental issues that was grounded in local realities. A total of 12 local journalists (4 women and 8 men) participated in each training session. Four of them came from indigenous communities.
High-quality journalism from exile
Despite the difficult new circumstances, El Faro managed to maintain its prominent role in the regional public discourse in Central America. Relocating its operations outside the country’s borders helped ensure the continuity of its editorial work in a situation where the Salvadoran government sought to restrict critical journalism through economic and legal pressure
From abroad, El Faro was able to continue producing in-depth reports on authoritarian rule, corruption, human rights, and the erosion of democracy in El Salvador and elsewhere in Central America.
The Nicaraguan media outlet Onda Local continued its journalism on human rights, the environment, and freedom of speech from its base in Costa Rica. The outlet’s work was particularly important because a large part of Nicaragua’s civil society has been dismantled or forced into exile. The stories highlighted the work of organizations working on environmental protection, gender equality, and the rights of indigenous peoples. In this way, the media helped maintain the visibility of these actors in a situation where the public sphere has been severely restricted.
With Vikes’ support, a total of 40 pieces of journalistic content were produced in the region in the form of reports, investigative stories, and podcasts. Climate change, mining in Central America, and many other environmental issues featured more prominently as themes in the stories. In addition to these, other important topics included democracy, authoritarian regimes, corruption and power, human rights, displacement and migration, the status of LGBTQI+ communities, and freedom of speech.
Economic sustainability is the biggest challenge
Although collaboration and journalistic output remained at a high level and even strengthened within the framework of the project, the biggest challenges facing Vikes’ partners and other independent media outlets in the region continue to be related to funding and safety. Many newsrooms operate under uncertain conditions, and journalists’ livelihoods are precarious. Many were forced to seek their livelihoods elsewhere than in journalism even last year.
Partners are working to strengthen their financial sustainability by developing new funding models. They are seeking revenue from organizations that support media operations, donors, audiences, advertising, and social media channels. This is not easy in the current situation. Therefore, a key challenge in ensuring the viability of journalists and media outlets remains finding various solutions to secure long-term funding.
In any case, even though the operating environment is difficult and shows no signs of getting any easier, independent media outlets have already demonstrated their ability to continue their work even in exile and in the face of ever-increasing pressure. To fall silent would mean surrender for them.
Text: Kimmo Lehtonen
