Wins La Verdad Noticias International Award. La Verdad Noticias was awarded the prestigious SIP Award for Journalistic Excellence 2023 in the category of Human Rights and Community Services.
The recognition was granted by the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) in recognition of the outstanding journalistic work of La Verdad Noticias in its coverage of the disappearance of the minor Óscar Gabriel in Mérida, Yucatán, a tragic event that took place in May 2022 and which revealed a series of irregularities in the protection of the rights of children in government custody.
This important award recognizes the valuable work carried out by journalists Jesús Armando Cámara Ríos, Martín Holguín Alatorre and Francisco Javier Quintero Flores, who contributed significantly to the investigation and exposure of the facts surrounding the disappearance of Óscar Gabriel.
The SIP, one of the most influential journalistic associations that brings together more than 1,300 newspapers and magazines, evaluated a total of 1,286 works of high quality presented by professionals from North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe, before granting this recognition.
The case of Óscar Gabriel, a 15-year-old boy born in Xalapa, Veracruz, shocked society due to his disappearance under mysterious circumstances.
The journalistic investigation by La Verdad Noticias was crucial in shedding light on the case and putting pressure on the authorities to carry out an exhaustive search. After 123 days of anguish and worry, the Attorney General’s Office of the State of Yucatán finally located Óscar Gabriel in his mother-in-law’s house in the Obrera neighborhood.
The woman, identified as Yesenia, was arrested in October 2022 and faces charges of “forced disappearance by private individual,” which could result in a sentence of more than 50 years in prison if she is found guilty. Currently, Óscar Gabriel has reunited with his mother, ending a painful separation. This case, and the prominent journalistic coverage surrounding it, They serve as a reminder of the importance of journalism in exposing injustices and promoting accountability in our society.