Venezuelan journalist Luz Mely Reyes wins 2026 Maria Moors Cabot Prize

Venezuelan journalist Luz Mely Reyes, co-founder of the digital outlet Efecto Cocuyo, has been honored with the 2026 Maria Moors Cabot Prize Gold Medal. This award is recognized as one of the oldest and most prestigious in international journalism, presented annually by Columbia University in the United States since 1938.

The award celebrates journalistic work across the Americas and aims to strengthen inter-American understanding. Columbia's School of Journalism announced the list of recipients on Wednesday, who will be honored in New York on October 8. Each recipient will receive a gold medal and a $5,000 prize.

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The journalism must be recognized not only for what it has told, but for what it has a duty to protect.

Reyes will share the award with Daniel Coronell from Colombia, Leila Guerriero from Argentina, and Kate Linthicum from the United States. The judging panel specifically highlighted Reyes' journalistic excellence, her editorial vision, her innovative spirit, and her "unwavering commitment to truth and to Venezuela."

Throughout her career, Reyes has documented the human impact of Chavismo, the Venezuelan exodus, and censorship mechanisms, consistently focusing on individual experiences. Upon learning of the distinction, Reyes wrote, "Journalism must be recognized not only for what it has told, but for what it has a duty to protect." The jury's citation, emphasizing her excellence, vision, innovation, and commitment, serves as a call to action for the future.

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her journalistic excellence, her editorial vision, her initiative to innovate and her unwavering commitment to the truth and to Venezuela