Exiles from the New Central American Dictatorships

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Exiles from the New Central American Dictatorships: A Journalistic and Educational Project Through Artivism

Summary of Action

The authoritarian drift that is taking place in many parts of the world is severely impacting Central America, particularly El Salvador and Nicaragua. In recent years, the governments of Nayib Bukele and Daniel Ortega have dismantled democratic structures, eliminated the separation of powers, and seized total control over judicial and police institutions. Alongside this political shift, both regimes have escalated the systematic violation of human rights and the persecution of dissent. Thousands of people have been forced to flee their countries to avoid imprisonment or even death.

Among those in exile are individuals who have played a key role in defending democracy in their home countries—many of them artists and creators who have used their creative expression to advocate for human rights, social justice, and gender equality. Their stories are not only testimonies of repression but also examples of resistance and resilience through art.

This project proposes the development of a multi-format report—text, photography, and audiovisual—focused on Salvadoran and Nicaraguan individuals currently in exile in Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain. The aim is to generate empathy and awareness in the public by illustrating the human and social consequences of authoritarianism, which is increasingly spreading not only through Latin America but also in parts of Europe, including Spain and Catalonia.

The fieldwork will result in three distinct outputs:

• A long-form written chronicle;
• A photo reportage featuring at least 20 original photographs;
• A series of interviews in video and audio formats, edited into two audiovisual versions: a longer one for digital publication and a shorter one designed for dissemination through TikTok and Instagram Stories.

The content will be produced by a team of seasoned professionals: two Salvadoran journalists—Óscar Martínez, currently living in exile, and Victoria Delgado—and Catalan photojournalist Edu Ponces. The team has extensive experience reporting on Central America and has received major journalism awards across the Spanish-speaking world.

The project will also benefit from a strategic alliance with El Faro, one of the most respected media outlets in El Salvador, which has been facing aggressive persecution from the Bukele administration. El Faro will publish the long-form article and video clips and will present the project at the 2026 Central American Journalism Forum. The content will also be simultaneously published by Revista 5W, a leading outlet for in-depth international journalism in Spain. Additionally, RUIDO Photo will distribute the photographic reportage across European media and will showcase the work during an audiovisual presentation at LASAL. Festival Mediterrani de Periodisme i Fotografia, held in El Masnou (Barcelona) in June 2026.

CREART will implement educational activities using the documentary content and the network of featured creators. This includes:

• An exhibition to be shown at five Catalan schools;
• Four creative workshops with “artivist commissions” of students and teachers.

The students will engage virtually with exiled creators and, inspired by their stories, develop their own “artivist” pieces to present at two major interschool events: Take Away and DENIP, reaching an audience of 1,200 children and youth.

Sustainable Development Goals

This project supports the following SDGs:

Contact

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