2020 Press Freedom Grand Prize to journalists killed by COVID-19-Mexico has the greatest number at 26

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat  IAPA
Mexico has the most dead journalists at this point in the pandemic, at 26, followed closely by Peru

"This is a very tough time for journalism because the pandemic has also claimed the lives of many members of our journalistic family," IAPA President Christopher Barnes.

The IAPA will also announce today the list of winners of the 2020 Journalistic Excellence Awards in 14 other categories.

Miami (August 7, 2020) - The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) awards the Grand Prize for Freedom of the Press 2020 to more than 100 journalists and press workers from the Americas who, in the exercise of their profession, have lost life due to COVID-19 in the last semester.

IAPA President Christopher Barnes highlighted the organization's admiration and respect for the victims of COVID-19 and expressed his condolences to the families. "This is a very hard time for journalism because the pandemic has also claimed the lives of many members of our journalistic family. In all countries there are examples of dedication and self-denial shown by media workers who have given up their own lives to fulfill firmly committed to keeping the public informed. "

"I am sure - added Barnes - that their deaths were not in vain, and I am hopeful that the work of all these journalists and media personnel has helped other people to face the pandemic with adequate prevention that results in an impact of lower risk. "

Barnes, director of The Gleaner Company (Media) Limited, Kingston, Jamaica, indicated that "this pandemic is far from over," and called on journalists and media workers, and especially the media, "to strengthen health and safety protocols to reduce the impact on the profession ".

Barnes thanked all the press organizations on the continent and the IAPA partners who have collaborated by providing information on the victims and expressed that the organization will continue to collect data.

So far, these are the journalists and media personnel who have been reported as deceased by the effects of COVID-19 during their professional work:

· Bolivia: Jaime Arósqueta, Jacinto Quispe Maydana, Óscar Vargas Vargas, Rubén Darío Méndez, Édgar Chanato Arriaza, Roberto Soliz Arteaga, Vladimir Flores Ríos and Rosse Mary Cupary Mascaya.

· Brazil: Luiz Marcello de Menezes Bittencourt, Roberto Fernandes, Robson Thiago Mesquita, José Augusto Nascimento Silva, Lauro Freitas Filho, Alexandre Rangel, Márcio Garçone, Marcos Dublê and Letícia Neworal Fave.

· Colombia: Vladimir Largacha and Antonio Paco Lasso.

· Ecuador: Omar Salvatierra, Augusto Itúrburu, Luis Alberto Flores, Omar Paredes, Angel Sanchez, Manuel Adolfo Varas, Victor Hugo Peña, Olmedo Mendez Tacuri, Paul Tobar, Carlos Loor, Rosendo Escobar Cardenas, Roberto Roman, Guido Castro, Fernando Asencio Baquerizo , Julio Rodríguez, Carlos Pangol.

· United States : Alison Schwartz, Brahm Kanchibotla, Anick Jesdanun, Mark Eckert, Maria Mercader, Larry Edgeworth, Anthony Causi, Tony Greer, Patrick Ellis.

· El Salvador: Franklin Américo Rivera Martínez.

· Honduras : Pablo Gerardo Matamoros, Francis Jaqueline Bojórquez, David Romero and José Edilberto Zelaya.

The first 9 Mexican deaths above

· Mexico: Jorge Walterio Medina Palazuelo, Miguel Ángel García Tapia, Alejandro Cedillo, Martha Caballero Collí, Antonio Alvear Olea, Armando Sánchez Díaz, Moisés Márquez Villegas, Johnatan Gonzalo Arana Chan, Reyes Ramos Rodríguez, Carlos Ramírez Castro, Fabiola Bueno Cardiel, Ricardo Camacho, David Alvarado, José Luis Ceballos, Clemente González García, Jorge Tamez de la Cabada, José Manuel Velarde Vázquez, José Alonso Raymundo Roldán Méndez, Manuel Cano López, Manuel Villegas Suárez, Mario Mazón, Jaime Montejo, Roberto Gutiérrez Rojas, Rosendo Santos Merino, Sonia Salomé Copca Cano and Uriel Martínez López.

· Nicaragua: José Francisco Ruiz, Gustavo Bermúdez, Lorenzo Larios, Sergio León Corea, Alexander Espinoza and Mario Torres Sandoval.

· Peru: Manuel Sanchez Cobos, Mario Law Bucana Huamaní, Raúl Llerena Vásquez, Sindefredo Moncada Chuquipiondo, Mario Mozombite Paricuarina, Alfredo Jaime Magallanes Gutiérrez, Victor Hemeryth El Aguila, Hugo Fernando Wong Garcia, Elar Martin Silupú Peña, José Humberto Burga Gamarra, Juan Carlos Norabuena Obregón, Marco Augusto Pacherrez Guaylupo, Oscar Mendoza Cruz, José Alberto Arica Núñez, Jorge Martín Díaz Guevara, Abraham Rolfo Bytton García, Pedro Farfán Flores, Orlando Quispe Villanueva, Hugo Condori Chambilla, Edward Dagoberto Chávez Viera, Edson Gerardo Rojas Damián, Palmer de la Cruz Aburto and Guillermo Ibarra Méndez.

· Dominican Republic: Pedro Fernández, René Rodríguez Soriano, Ramón Lora, José Luis Cruz Aquino and Príamo Rodríguez.

The full list of victims and their photos can be viewed HERE.

2020 Journalistic Excellence Awards

In a separate communication, the IAPA will also announce today the list of communication professionals from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, awarded in the annual competition to journalistic excellence that rewards the best works in the hemispheric press.

The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to the defense and promotion of freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It is made up of more than 1,300 publications from the Western Hemisphere; and is based in Miami.