Nicaraguan Journalist Warned by Costa Rica to Abandon Her Work Amid Threats

November 13, 2025 – Nicaragua – 

Exiled Nicaraguan journalist Jennifer Ortiz—a naturalised Spanish citizen and director of the investigative platform Nicaragua Investiga based in Costa Rica—has revealed that Costa Rican authorities advised her to cease her journalistic activity after she reported receiving death threats.

According to Ortiz, she approached Costa Rican officials weeks ago seeking protection. Instead of supportive action, she claims she was presented with a “risk analysis” that concluded with alarming recommendations: abandon journalism, erase nearly eight years of work from her outlet, and delete her personal social-media presence. She recounted: “Due to certain threats and warnings I received … I went to the Costa Rican authorities. Their response: a risk ‘analysis’ with one recommendation: to retire from journalism, delete all the work done by Nicaragua Investiga … and also delete my personal social media accounts.”

Ortiz, whose Nicaraguan citizenship was revoked in February 2023, further said that Costa Rica’s Witness Protection Unit within the Public Prosecutor’s Office advised that she “go into hiding and never comment on anything on any digital platform.” The recommendation underscores the severe pressures faced by Nicaraguan journalists in exile, even in neighbouring countries that are generally considered safe havens.

Media-freedom groups say the case exemplifies a broader trend of silencing Nicaraguan dissent abroad, pointing to what they call a transnational reach of the Daniel Ortega regime’s intimidation tactics. The call by Costa Rican officials for Ortiz to erase her digital footprint and cease independent journalism highlights the perilous environment in which exiled reporters operate.

Ortiz’s ordeal also raises questions about the adequacy of protection mechanisms for journalists facing threats in exile. While Costa Rica has accepted numerous Nicaraguan exiles, this episode suggests that even within such countries, critical voices may still find themselves on precarious ground. Until all threats are addressed and her full rights restored, Ortiz remains under pressure, and the integrity of her work remains under threat.

Reference – 

Exiled Nicaraguan journalist says Costa Rica recommended she leave country following threats