Juanita León
Encyclopedia
Juanita León García is a Colombia
n journalist
, writer and lecturer.
She was born in Colombia and graduated from law school
at University of the Andes
before moving to New York City to do a M.S. from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. She worked as a reporter on the Wall Street Journal Americas
before returning to Colombia in 1998.
Ms León worked for the newspaper El Tiempo and for Semana
magazine. She was editor-in-chief of semana.com and collaborated with the TV series Tiempos difíciles and Regreso a la Esperanza. She was one of the first journalists to reveal the links
between several Colombian politicians and paramilitary groups.
Ms León was the editor of Años de fuego (2001, an anthology of the best Colombian reportages from the 1990s). In 2004 she published No somos muchos pero somos machos (articles on civil resistance by Colombian indigenous people).
Her book País de plomo. Crónicas de Guerra [Country of Bullets. War Diaries] deals with Colombia's armed conflict at the beginning of the 21st century. It was released by the University of New Mexico Press
in English. In 2006 she was awarded the Lettre Ulysses Award
for the art of reportage (3rd prize) and was named a Nieman Fellow by Harvard University
.
She taught at New York University
's Graduate School of Journalism and worked as editor-in-chief of Flypmedia.com, an online news magazine based in New York City, until June 2008.
In 2009 Ms León founded La Silla Vacía
, a news
website
focused on Colombian politics
.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, writer and lecturer.
She was born in Colombia and graduated from law school
Law school
A law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
at University of the Andes
University of the Andes, Colombia
The University of the Andes , is a coeducational, nonsectarian private university located in city centre Bogotá, Colombia. Founded in 1948, the University has 9 faculties: Administration, Architecture and Design, Arts and Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Economics, Engineering and...
before moving to New York City to do a M.S. from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. She worked as a reporter on the Wall Street Journal Americas
The Wall Street Journal Special Editions
The Wall Street Journal Special Editions is a venture launched in 1994 by The Wall Street Journal to expand its readership abroad, especially in the Americas. It publishes pages, bearing the Journal's banner, within major daily and weekly newspapers around the world featuring selected content from...
before returning to Colombia in 1998.
Ms León worked for the newspaper El Tiempo and for Semana
Revista Semana
Semana or Revista Semana is a Colombian-based weekly magazine. It was founded in 1946 by Alberto Lleras Camargo , but was shut down after a controversial cover depicting Cuban leader Fidel Castro.In 1983, journalist Felipe López Caballero re-founded the magazine...
magazine. She was editor-in-chief of semana.com and collaborated with the TV series Tiempos difíciles and Regreso a la Esperanza. She was one of the first journalists to reveal the links
Colombian parapolitics scandal
The Colombian parapolitics scandal or "parapolítica" in Spanish refers to the 2006–present Colombian congressional scandal in which several congressmen and other politicians have been indicted for suspicions of colluding with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia , a paramilitary group which...
between several Colombian politicians and paramilitary groups.
Ms León was the editor of Años de fuego (2001, an anthology of the best Colombian reportages from the 1990s). In 2004 she published No somos muchos pero somos machos (articles on civil resistance by Colombian indigenous people).
Her book País de plomo. Crónicas de Guerra [Country of Bullets. War Diaries] deals with Colombia's armed conflict at the beginning of the 21st century. It was released by the University of New Mexico Press
University of New Mexico Press
The University of New Mexico Press, founded in 1929, is a university press that is part of the University of New Mexico. Its administrative offices are in the Office of Research , on the campus of UNM in Albuquerque....
in English. In 2006 she was awarded the Lettre Ulysses Award
Lettre Ulysses Award
The Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage has been given annually since 2003 for the best texts in the genre of literary reportage, which must have been first published during the previous two years...
for the art of reportage (3rd prize) and was named a Nieman Fellow by Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
She taught at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Graduate School of Journalism and worked as editor-in-chief of Flypmedia.com, an online news magazine based in New York City, until June 2008.
In 2009 Ms León founded La Silla Vacía
La Silla Vacía
La Silla Vacía is an Colombian news website founded by journalist and writer Juanita León. The site focuses primarily on Colombian politics....
, a news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
focused on Colombian politics
Politics of Colombia
The Politics of Colombia take place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President of Colombia is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government...
.
Awards
- World Health Organisation's World Prize for Health Journalism (2001, for an article on the health risks posed by the conflict in Colombia)
- Fundación para un Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano - Cemex journalism prize (2002, finalist)
- Lettre Ulysses AwardLettre Ulysses AwardThe Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage has been given annually since 2003 for the best texts in the genre of literary reportage, which must have been first published during the previous two years...
(2006, 3rd prize for the book País de plomo. Crónicas de guerra)