<p>Despite heavy-handed governments, violent crime cartels, and economic challenges, investigative reporting is alive and well across Latin America. Underscoring the achievements of journalists in the region was the fourth <a href="http://gijn.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0212d7db984672e4fe5ac3daf&id=941aa1150d&e=cc89fc3b83" target="_blank">Latin American Investigative Journalism Conference</a> (Conferencia Latinoamerica de Periodismo de Investigacion, or COLPIN), held last week in Bogota, Colombia.</p>
<p>The enthusiastic conference  brought together 200 of Latin America’s most enterprising journalists from 15 countries. Among the highlights was the awarding of the annual <a href="http://gijn.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=0212d7db984672e4fe5ac3daf&id=0a17cad7ee&e=cc89fc3b83" target="_blank">COLPIN prize</a>, which went to three winners from Brazil and Peru, as well as 13 honorable mentions, selected from 209 nominated stories. Sponsored by <a href="http://gijn.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0212d7db984672e4fe5ac3daf&id=9c52d66c1f&e=cc89fc3b83" target="_blank">Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS)</a>, <a href="http://gijn.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0212d7db984672e4fe5ac3daf&id=2907e63f10&e=cc89fc3b83" target="_blank">Transparency International</a>, and <em><a href="http://gijn.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0212d7db984672e4fe5ac3daf&id=1d154dcfd6&e=cc89fc3b83" target="_blank">Semana</a></em> magazine, the conference showcased how rapidly the region’s journalists have embraced investigative work over the past decade.</p>
<p>The conference ended with a rousing call by IPYS, Abraji, and GIJN to attend COLPIN13 next year, which will be held in conjunction with the <a href="http://gijn.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=0212d7db984672e4fe5ac3daf&id=20278bbeae&e=cc89fc3b83" target="_blank">Global Investigative Journalism Conference</a> and Abraji’s national congress – in Rio de Janiero.</p>