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In a year defined by press persecution and information censorship in Venezuela, ProBox played a key role in two journalistic initiatives that were honored for their defense of the right to information. The investigative series “Los Ilusionistas” received the 2025 National Investigative Journalism Prize from IPYS Venezuela, while the collaborative project “Operación Retuit” was awarded the 2025 King of Spain International Prize for Journalism in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action.
These recognitions underscore the power of collaborative, rigorous, and innovative journalism, particularly in authoritarian contexts where reporting the truth can endanger those who tell it.
ProBox Recognized for Its Role in “Los Ilusionistas”
The National Investigative Journalism Award, granted by the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad de Venezuela-IPYS (Press and Society Institute of Venezuela), honored the transnational series Los Ilusionistas, an in-depth investigation featuring contributions from ProBox. The series explores how Venezuela’s digital ecosystem is manipulated through allied pollsters, disinformation tactics, and pro-government propaganda during electoral processes.
Los Ilusionistas was developed by the Information Coalition (C-INFORMA) —formed by Medianálisis, Efecto Cocuyo, ProBox, and Cazadores de Fake News— under the coordination of the Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística CLIP (Latin American Center for Investigative Journalism), in collaboration with 15 media outlets across Latin America.
In the case of Venezuela, the coalition published two key investigations:
- “Six suspicious pollsters coordinate to promote Nicolás Maduro as the favorite for June 28”: an investigation into how certain firms inflate the ruling party’s numbers in the media and on social networks.
- “Infiltrate, steal data, stigmatize, and attack”: a report exposing the Maduro government’s digital tactics against the opposition and dissent.
This national award confirms the relevance of data journalism and verification in times of institutional opacity and democratic crisis.
Operación Retuit, awarded in Spain for its innovative coverage
At the same time, the “Operación Retuit” project was awarded the King of Spain International Prize for Journalism in International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action, in recognition of its creativity in covering the post-election crisis in Venezuela, which included reports of repression, censorship, and mass arrests following the presidential election on July 28, 2024.
The project—with the participation of more than 200 journalists, 14 media outlets, and 31 cities within the country—developed an original narrative to protect the identity of the reporters: two avatars created with artificial intelligence, “la chama” and “el pana,” were responsible for reporting on what was happening in the streets, from deaths during protests to the government’s suspension of the social platform X in the country.
“Operación Retuit” took place in a context in which more than 2,000 people were arrested for protesting or reporting.
The two awards, one national and one international, demonstrate that, despite censorship and risk, Venezuelan journalism remains committed to telling the truth, especially to collaborating with peers and denouncing media manipulation in times when free information is an act of resistance.
To learn more about our work and digital developments in the region, follow us as @ProBoxVE on all social media platforms.
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