The second installment of the cross-border investigation Mined Countries, produced by La Voz de Guanacaste together with partner media outlets in Costa Rica and Panama, has been selected as a finalist for the Inter American Press Association (IAPA) Excellence in Journalism Awards, one of the most prestigious recognitions for journalism in the Americas.
Mined Countries II continues a collaborative reporting effort that began with the first edition of the series, bringing together La Voz de Guanacaste, Interferencia de Radios UCR, Revista Concolón, and the Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism (CLIP) to investigate the networks that sustain illegal mining in Costa Rica and Panama.
In Costa Rica, the series revealed how gold illegally extracted in Crucitas, Cutris in San Carlos, enters international markets through a network involving informal mining operations, the growing use of highly toxic substances, and schemes that disguise the gold as originating from Abangares’ artisanal mining sector in Guanacaste.
“This nomination recognizes investigative journalism produced by a regional newsroom with an intentional reach, as well as the collaborative work of journalists, photographers, designers, and data specialists from different countries. Above all, it reaffirms our purpose: to provide Guanacaste with journalism that creates value,” said Noelia Esquivel Solano, Executive Director of La Voz de Guanacaste.
According to the organization, this year’s competition received hundreds of submissions. From these, 39 finalists were selected across 13 categories ranging from news coverage to illustration and infographics.
María Lorente, Chair of the IAPA Awards Committee and Latin America Regional Director for Agence France-Presse (AFP), highlighted the exceptional quality of this year’s entries.
The quality of the submitted work was truly outstanding. The jury faced an especially difficult task in selecting the winners, reflecting the talent, rigor, and diversity of the journalism being produced across the Americas today,” she said.
La Voz de Guanacaste reported and published two of the series’ central investigations:
- “Costa Rican gold continues leaving through the airport despite government promises,” which revealed how the metal continues to be exported by air despite persistent gaps in government oversight.
- “Illegal gold mining grows by 623% as cyanide imports reach record levels,” which documented the rapid expansion of illegal mining and the increase in cyanide imports, a substance used to process gold that poses environmental and public health risks.
The awards ceremony will take place during the 82nd IAPA General Assembly, to be held in Bogotá, Colombia, from October 22 to 25, 2026.
A long-term commitment
The first installment, Mined Countries I, also included reports on gold trafficking routes, mercury use, Abangares’ role in the gold supply chain, and the social and environmental impacts of this activity.
This is not the first time La Voz de Guanacaste has reached this stage. In 2018, its investigation The Secret Files of Papagayo was also a finalist for the IAPA Excellence in Journalism Awards.
We thank our partner organizations, the sources who trusted this reporting process, and especially our readers and Semillas members, whose support makes it possible to dedicate months of work to investigations in the public interest.
Mined Countries II
Mined Countries I
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