A Guatemalan journalist affected by the U.S. aid cuts said: "Losing [staff] specialized in environmental issues in a context that we are in, where climate topics are urgent issues to investigate and work on from a journalism standpoint, that is a very strong blow."
Date: 6/26
Region: Latin America & Caribbean
Country: Guatemala
Topic: Climate & Environment, Governance & Rights
Policy Lens: Climate & Resource Pressure
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Pia Flores, a journalist with the independent digital media outlet Quórum. The organization had planned to deepen its reporting on the effects of climate change and water access issues, reporting on contamination and corruption within Guatemalan mining projects.
Devex Researcher Note: As a result of USAID cuts, Quórum could not bring these plans forward. They suffered a $20,000 retraction in funds, pausing staff enrollment in social security and laying off two individuals, as well as cancelling the lease on a recording studio rental which would have allowed them to bring reporting forward.
Source: Oxfam