Armando Rios and Lucia Perez Paz

Armando Rios and Lucia Perez Paz learned the importance of fact checking when conducting a sensitive investigation that uncovered how small political parties siphon off public funds during elections. After covering the daily developments during an election, the two journalists suspected there was something wrong with the funds given to political parties. The team worked with Miriam Ramirez, an experienced investigative journalist who helped them solicit public information from electoral bodies and consult with legal experts about local regulation and the state electoral code in Coahuila, Mexico.  

In order to identify potential conflicts of interest, the mentor guided them in developing a database to cross reference information of contracts to private companies providing electoral services with commercial public registries and the tax information. Perez Paz also took a workshop on developing timelines for storytelling and explained how the story unfolded stating “We began to spin the thread. Timelines seem like a lingering task, almost a waste of time, but they truly help you visualize [a story].” Rios added that fact-checking safeguarded the story so that public figures could not question the evidence presented. After eight months of hard work, the story was published, and it received an honorable mention in the Border Hubs annual awards.

Investigation: Desfalcan, pierden el registro y reviven: el negocio redondo de los minipartidos en Coahuila