VOA新闻杂志2023--In Nicaragua, Many Concerned over Press Freedoms

In Nicaragua, Many Concerned over Press Freedoms

Reporters and observers say recent years under Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega have severely¹ damaged press freedoms in the country.

Over 120 journalists have left Nicaragua and a news organization is in exile. The government also took away the licenses³ of at least 17 media organizations over the summer.

La Prensa is one of Nicaragua's oldest newspapers. In 2021, police raided its offices in the capital, Managua. Police took its printing equipment and detained its publisher, Juan Lorenzo Holmann. A court in March 2022 found Holmann guilty of money laundering⁴.

La Prensa moved its operations out of the country in 2022. The newspaper said the government's attacks on the press forced it to leave.

Víctor Manuel Pérez is the director of the Independent Journalists and Communicators of Nicaragua, the country's largest union of journalists. He said, "2022 has been the worst year for independent media."

Pérez gave the example of sports journalist Miguel Mendoza, who in February 2022 was sentenced to nine years in prison. The government accused Mendoza of "acts that undermine the independence of Nicaragua."

Mendoza reported on sports but also commented on human rights and politics. The Committee to Protect Journalists said he had been critical of the Ortega government.

Telcor is the government organization that makes rules for broadcasters. Among the media organization licenses it took away, many were local radio and television stations. Some were connected to the Roman Catholic Church, which Ortega has accused of making plots against the government.

The government said that the media organizations had broken several laws and that some had changed their frequency, which is against the rules.

Radio Darío, a Voice of America partner, was among the stations to lose a license².

Its director, Anibal Toruno, said the government's accusations⁵ were false and that the real goal was to "shut us up."

The lack of independent radio stations in Nicaragua affects rural communities. Those areas depend on battery-powered radios to get information on everything from local news to the weather.

"Sometimes, until we go to the city, we don't realize what is going on...We don't know what's happening," Isabel Hernández told VOA. She lives in a rural area near the city of León.

The remaining media organizations have reduced reporting on political news. Observers say the risk of legal action or arrest is affecting the country's media.

In a report published earlier this year, the nonprofit group Voces del Sur [Southern Voices] said the government's actions are hurting journalists' work. Southern Voices also criticized a lack of public information during regional elections in November.

Government pressure on the press has affected⁶ international media organizations, such as CNN en Espanol and Spain's EFE news agency.

The government did not directly answer VOA's request for comments.

Words in This Story

journalist –n. a person involved in collecting, writing and editing new stories for newspapers, magazines, television or radio

license –n. official permission to carry out some business or controlled activity

money laundering –n. the act of taking part in financial exchanges to hide the fact that the money was gained illegally

undermine –v. to make something weaker or less effective

frequency –n. the radio wavelength⁷ of a broadcast

battery –n. a storage device for electricity

regional –adj. related to an area that is different from others in a country, state or the world

1 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

2 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

3 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

4 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 wavelength   

n.波长

参考例句：

• The authorities were unable to jam this wavelength.当局无法干扰这一波长。
• Radio One has broadcast on this wavelength for years.广播1台已经用这个波长广播多年了。