Independent Journalism Faces Extinction in Nicaragua Amid Escalating Repression

Independent journalism in Nicaragua is nearing total collapse, according to a 2025 report by the Foundation for Freedom of Expression and Democracy (FLED). The study reveals that in 10 of the country’s 15 regions, local journalism has completely disappeared. The environment has become a “news desert,” where state propaganda dominates and dissenting voices have been driven into exile, detention, or silence.

Under the regime of President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo, Nicaragua has experienced a steady dismantling of press freedom since 2007. The government has shut down independent outlets, criminalized reporting, and seized newsrooms and equipment. In the past year alone, 46 journalists were expelled, four were detained, and three are missing under suspicious circumstances. Over 280 media professionals now live in exile.

One of the most alarming cases is the enforced disappearance of feminist journalist Fabiola Tercero in July 2024. Others, like veteran reporter Irving Guerrero Montes, remain under house arrest, while dozens more face legal threats or surveillance.

The state now controls nearly 60% of all media output, while the remaining independent journalists operate under constant fear. Websites of critical outlets, including La Prensa, Confidencial, and 100% Noticias, are blocked inside the country. In retaliation for La Prensa receiving UNESCO’s 2025 Guillermo Cano Press Freedom Prize, the Ortega government withdrew Nicaragua from UNESCO, signaling a full rejection of international oversight.

Despite exile and censorship, Nicaraguan journalists persist. Platforms like Divergentes, now operating from Costa Rica, continue to publish investigations into corruption, human rights abuses, and forced migration.

Reporters Without Borders warns that journalism in Nicaragua is “on the verge of extinction.” The complete absence of legal protections, coupled with escalating repression, means the country is losing one of its final democratic checks.

Bottom line: Nicaragua’s independent media is collapsing under authoritarian pressure. With mass exile, disappearances, and total state control of information, journalism has become a high-risk act. Without international pressure and support, the last traces of press freedom could vanish completely.