The 'Televisa Leaks' investigation by journalist Carmen Aristegui and Aristegui Noticias' Special Investigations Unit has been named one of the best Spanish-language investigative stories of 2025 by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN). The investigation exposed the existence of an internal unit called 'Palomar' at the Mexican media giant Televisa. This unit, led by executive Javier Tejado Dondé, was tasked with fabricating information and discrediting third parties. The investigation was based on over five terabytes of internal communications, including videos, photos, WhatsApp messages, and scripts, provided by a former employee. Among the victims was Aristegui herself, whose name appeared nearly 300 times in the leaked documents. GIJN notes that Televisa has not yet issued an official statement regarding the leaks or the departure of one of its vice presidents. In addition to the Mexican story, the list includes investigations from other Latin American countries. In Brazil and 15 other nations, journalists documented how tech giants created an 'influence network' to shape public policy. In Paraguay, reporters revealed clandestine air routes in the Chaco region used for international cocaine trafficking. On the Colombia-Venezuela border, journalists investigated the crisis of missing persons, showing that criminal networks control smuggling corridors. In Peru, an interactive platform was developed to examine the wealth of politicians. In Ecuador, the impact of violence on minors was documented, revealing a doubling in disappearances of teenagers. In Spain, an algorithm for melanoma detection was investigated, and in Chile, flaws in the child protection system were exposed.
