Salvadoran journalists in exile win Gabo Award for chronicle

Salvadoran journalists Óscar and Carlos Martínez have been honored with the prestigious Gabo Award in the Text category for their deeply personal chronicle, 'El exilio nos alcanza' (Exile Reaches Us). The award, presented in Bogotá, recognizes their work detailing their own experiences of exile following their publication of interviews concerning alleged pacts between gang leaders and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele.

Written collaboratively, the chronicle delves into the circumstances faced by other journalists, activists, and former public officials forced into exile. As the Martínez brothers interview these individuals, they reflect on their own precarious situations. The Fundación Gabo, which presented the award, noted that the chronicle, published in El Faro, illuminates the repression occurring in Bukele's El Salvador, a country often perceived internationally as a model of prosperity and security.

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You have given us that notion of an Ibero-American guild. You have filled this theater with people who love and respect each other.

The jury lauded the winning text for its bravery, exceptional reporting, and rigor, especially during a time of rising authoritarianism in the Americas. They highlighted how the narrative, told from the first-person plural perspective, transcends the authors' personal story to denounce the authoritarian trajectory of Bukele's government, which has achieved significant popularity across the continent. The chronicle serves as a constant reminder that journalism is a beacon of democracy.

Upon receiving the award, Carlos Martínez expressed gratitude for the sense of Ibero-American community fostered by the event. His brother, Óscar Martínez, dedicated the award to the more than 50 Salvadoran journalists who have fled their country for refusing to compromise their principles. He issued a direct message to Bukele's government, stating, "Let the dictator and his servants understand once and for all: silence is not our option, it never has been and never will be."

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Let the dictator and his servants understand once and for all: silence is not our option, it never has been and never will be.