Mexico City, May 7, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists joined six other international press freedom organizations in a statement urging the Nicaraguan government to reverse its May 4 decision to withdraw from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), saying the move further erodes freedom of expression in the country.

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay confirmed Nicaragua formally notified the agency of its exit just days after UNESCO announced that its 2025 World Press Freedom Prize will honor the exiled Nicaraguan daily La Prensa, which has operated online from abroad since police raided its newsroom and jailed staffers in 2021. President Daniel Ortega accused the U.N. body of attacking Nicaragua’s “national identity.”

The withdrawal follows Nicaragua’s earlier exits from other U.N. and Inter-American human-rights mechanisms. CPJ and its partners warn that cutting ties with oversight bodies strips Nicaraguans of vital avenues to defend their rights and deepens the nation’s isolation.

Read the full statement in English and Español.

This content originally appeared on Committee to Protect Journalists and was authored by CPJ Staff.

This post was originally published on Radio Free.