In a collaboration between Latin America and Global Investigations, reporter Regina Garcia Cano and video journalist Juan Arraez took serious risks in getting close to the ground in Venezuela’s Paria Peninsula to tell the stories of some of the men who had departed from the region on boats that were blown up by the U.S. military.
President Donald Trump and other top officials had alleged the boats were carrying narcotics bound for America and were being crewed by narco-terrorists and cartel members. Working their sources and following leads, all while avoiding drawing attention from security forces, they built trust with residents who didn’t want to discuss the matter because they were worried about being harmed by gangs or punished by Venezuela’s government.
Garcia Cano confirmed the identities of four of the crewmen and learned details about five others. For the first time, the world would know something about the men who died. The truth was more nuanced than what had been claimed by the U.S. or Venezuelan governments: the men were indeed trafficking drugs, but residents insisted they were not narco-terrorists or cartel leaders.
The reporting placed the men’s actions in the context of the economic despair facing the region, without judgment. In one instance, readers learned how one of the traffickers killed was a long-time local crime boss who had invested in the local economy and helped fund community celebrations.
The story’s text and video were supplemented by illustrations from Peter Hamlin and graphics by Anika Seth. Garcia Cano also wrote a Q&A sidebar detailing the reporting process and challenges of the trip.
Best of the Week judges praised the bravery and commitment to dig deep. “Incredible investigative work, did not pull punches about what we learned,” one judge wrote.
For their courageous reporting that introduced readers to the crewmen and their communities, Garcia Cano and Arraez are this week’s Best of the Week – First Winner.
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