Meet Carlos Chamorro (@cefeche), a renowned Nicaraguan journalist and 2024 Oslo Freedom Forum speaker.
On Jan. 10, 1978, Chamorro’s father, Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal, editor and publisher of La Prensa of Managua — Nicaragua’s only opposition paper at the time — was assassinated by Anastasio Somoza’s dictatorship. Soon after, with a fire lit under him, Chamorro began his career in journalism, seeking accountability and truth in his country.
Since 1978, Chamorro has exposed widespread corruption and human rights violations in Nicaragua, challenging the dictatorships of Somoza and, today, Daniel Ortega. He is the founder and editor of the online newspaper Confidencial, known for its investigative journalism, and the television programs Esta Semana and Esta Noche, which feature investigative reports and interviews.
His investigative work has earned him numerous awards, including the Maria Moors Cabot Prize from Columbia University in 2010 and the prestigious Ortega and Gasset Prize from El País in 2021.
It has also earned him a target on his back.
In December 2018, police illegally entered and raided the Confidencial, Esta Semana, and Esta Noche newsrooms, forcing Chamorro into exile. “It is imperative to keep open all spaces of freedom of expression to continue building the hope of a new republic, as my father, Pedro Joaquín Chamorro, dreamed,” Chamorro said following the raid. Chamorro returned to Nicaragua in 2019, but in 2021, the police once again raided his newsroom and home, issuing an arrest warrant for him on charges of “money laundering.”
Today, he lives in exile in Costa Rica, continuing his work with Confidencial, Esta Semana, and Esta Noche. He serves on the board of the Gabo Foundation, which promotes ethical, creative, and powerful journalism through workshops and other educational initiatives. In February 2023, he and several other journalists, dissidents, and human rights activists were stripped of their Nicaraguan citizenship —the regime’s latest mass attempt to silence critics.
Chamorro has shown incredible resilience and bravery in the face of Ortega’s relentless assault on press freedom. Hear from Chamorro firsthand by registering for the Oslo Freedom Forum today.
You can find additional details about the event at oslofreedomforum.com, and regular updates on our X and Instagram.
If you are interested in sponsoring the Oslo Freedom Forum, please contact sponsorships@hrf.org. If you are interested in attending as a member of the media, please contact press@hrf.org