Climate change profoundly impacts life on the planet, exacerbating environmental threats and having significant economic and social repercussions. In Central America, hurricanes, forest fires, and droughts–worsened by mining, deforestation, and illegal fishing—impact the most vulnerable communities. The lack of prior consultation and the eagerness to favor private investment impact the communities where infrastructure or extractive projects are developed, destroying them and their livelihoods.
In this context, freedom of the press is essential to inform the population and support accountability. Reporting freely on the factors and conditions that drive people from their territories and the responses they encounter is vital to understanding and measuring the impact of the climate crisis in Central America.
The intersection between climate change and press freedom reveals crucial challenges that our societies face in a complex democratic context in which coordinated efforts are required to address them.
Alianza Americas organized a tour with three journalists from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador to Washington, DC, May 6-10 to underscore the urgency of the climate crisis in the region and highlight the value of independent journalism as a reliable tool to make the situation visible. The tour is also an opportunity to insist on promoting and protecting freedom of the press as a democratic tool.
Journalists taking part in the tour:
Marcia Perdomo / Honduras
In 2010, she worked for two years on the digital edition of El Heraldo newspaper. Since September 2020, she has worked with Criterio.hn, where she investigates and builds reports on the extractivist model and its impact on the human rights of indigenous peoples, vulnerable groups, and society.
Press articles (in Spanish)
Víctor Peña / El Salvador
Photojournalist, producer, and videographer. He is the photography coordinator for the newspaper El Faro. His work has focused on migration in Central America, Mexico, and the U.S., gang violence, political corruption, victims of the armed conflict in Guatemala and El Salvador, and human rights violations. He is a contributor to the newspaper El País, Al-Jazeera English, and Helsingin Sanomat—Finland.
Press articles (in Spanish)
Elsa Coronado / Guatemala
Guatemalan journalist, with Maya Q’eqchi’ roots. Since 2013, she has been dedicated to investigative journalism and, in 2017, began publishing in Plaza Pública. She covers issues of justice, democracy, indigenous peoples, climate change, oversight of public spending, and human rights. She is a fellow of the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation’s Solutions Journalism program, the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF), and the Cycle of Updating for Journalists.
Press articles (in Spanish)
