Octavio Enríquez, Nicaragua, is an investigative reporter with Confidencial, a news outlet attacked by president Daniel Ortega's regime. He is also a member of Connectas, a nonprofit journalism initiative that promotes the production, exchange, training and dissemination of information on key issues for the development of the Americas.
Enríquez has been in exile since 2021, when Ortega ramped up threats against journalists, politicians, businessmen and social leaders as part of a general repression of rights in the central American country.
He was previously one of the editors of La Prensa, the oldest newspaper in the nation. La Prensa was his school. It was founded in 1926, and through its history has confronted a number of regimes, including Ortega's current dictatorship.
Enríquez strives to combine traditional journalism skills with advanced data tools to better serve readers. As a tutor of projects, he teaches his colleagues about editing and investigative journalism.
Over the course of his career, Enríquez has collaborated with outlets in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela and Spain.
His work focuses on corruption and abuse by Ortega and his inner circle. Enríquez has been recognized for this work with the Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal award, the Ortega y Gasset Journalism award, the King of Spain Journalism Award, and the Inter American Press Association prize.