Joseph Zárate (Etiqueta verde), Lilia Saúl and Ginna Morelo (El Universal and El Tiempo), Samuel Aranda and Adam Michnik win the Ortega y Gasset Awards for Journalism 2016

The struggle of a woman against a mining company in Peru, the drama of the disappeared in Mexico and Colombia, an image showing the desperation of refugees, and the quality of journalism that fought for freedom in Poland have been honored at the thirty-third edition the Ortega y Gasset Awards.

The Ortega y Gasset Awards, given by the newspaper EL PAÍS for the best journalistic works in Spanish-language media, went to Joseph Zárate Salazar in the category of Best Story or Investigative Journalism, for his report La dama de la laguna azul versus la laguna negra (The Lady of the Blue Lagoon versus the Black Lagoon), published in the magazine Etiqueta Verde, Peru. The report tells the story of a woman who refuses to leave her home, located in an area required by a mining company. According to jury, "this is a local story that is, at the same time, universal. It is the story of a struggle that engages the reader. It weaves real news into the story and tackles a subject that has generated significant social conflict in Peru. It also raises the issue of the conflict between individual interests and those of the majority."

The prize for Best Multimedia Work went to Desaparecidos (Disappeared), by Lilia Saúl and Ginna Morelo, published in El Universal in Mexico and El Tiempo in Colombia. This is a special report on the high number of missing people in Mexico and Colombia. The jury hailed the work as "a great critique" and praised "the wealth of information, narrative technique and graphic solutions included in this report on the social drama of disappearances".

The jury also agreed to give a special mention to Ángelo Attanasio, from El Periodico de Catalunya, for his report Connecting Africa.

The award for Best Photograph went to Samuel Aranda for one of his pictures in the series Llegando al paraíso (Arriving in Paradise) published in the newspaper ARA. The photo, in black and white, shows a mother hugging her son in the waters off the coast of Lesbos. The jury lauded "the strength and drama of an image that captures the drama of refugees trying to cross the Mediterranean."

The prize for Outstanding Career was given to Adam Michnik, founder and editor of the newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, in recognition of his life in journalism that dates back to 1965. The jury said that Michnik was an "extraordinary journalist, who has played a very important role in both Polish and European journalism” and praised his contribution “to the development of democracy and freedom of speech in Poland ".

The members of the jury were Adela Cortina, Professor of Ethics at the University of Valencia; Elena Anaya, actress; Benedetta Tagliabue, architect; Juan Jose Millás, writer; Juan Luis Cebrián, president of El País; Javier Moreno, editorial director of PRISA; Joaquin Estefania and Jesus Ceberio, former editors of El País and Antonio Cano, current editor-in-chief of El País. The jury secretary, without voting rights, was Pedro Zuazua, chief communications officer of PRISA NOTICIAS.

The Ortega y Gasset Awards for Journalism were created in 1984 by the newspaper El País, and are named after the Spanish philosopher and journalist José Ortega y Gasset. The prizes honor work published in Spanish-language media worldwide over the year, paying tribute to work that  champions independence and rigor – the hallmarks of excellent journalism.

The awards are open to written or graphic work published in Spanish-language newspapers or magazines worldwide. Each award is worth 15,000 euros in prize money and is accompanied by a work by sculptor Eduardo Chillida.

The awards will be presented on Thursday, May 5 at the Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid.