María Teresa Ronderos

María Teresa Ronderos is a Colombian journalist, co-founder of the Latin American Centre for Investigative Journalism (CLIP). Since its inception in 2019, she has coordinated many of the 40+ cross-border investigations in collaboration with 140 media partners, addressing vital issues such as migration, disinformation, and energy transition.

Throughout her career, she has been a firm believer in collaboration as a means to improve journalism, mentor beginners, accompany reporters at risk, expand the impact of stories, and build trust with citizens.

Accordingly, outlet VerdadAbierta.com, which she co-founded and directed, partnered with local media and civil society to investigate the abuse of warlords in areas of her country affected by violence. Her best-selling book Guerras Recicladas explores this intricate history. As director of the global journalism program at Open Society Foundations, she fostered the creation of networks and alliances both among media and freedom of expression organisations.

Her own contributions to journalism have earned her multiple accolades, including several Simón Bolívar Colombian National Awards, the Maria Moors Cabot Award, and the Ortega & Gasset. She serves on the boards of some organizations dedicated to safeguarding freedom of press, among them the CPJ and Media Defence.

Maria Teresa Ronderos has spent her career fighting for truth, transparency, and the power of investigative journalism. As the co-founder and director of the Center for Latin American Investigative Journalism (CLIP), Ronderos has brought together a community of journalists committed to uncovering corruption, injustice, and inequality across Latin America.

For Ronderos, journalism is not just about reporting facts—it’s about driving change. “I’m an optimist,” she says. “I believe things can always be made better, and I get frustrated when people say something can’t be changed.” This determination has been at the heart of her leadership, pushing the boundaries of what journalism can achieve in a world filled with misinformation and attacks on press freedom. LEARN MORE