AP’s Cuba team hits multiple coverage angles amid personal challenges

Operating in one of the most challenging reporting environments in the world, AP’s Cuba team delivered wide-ranging, all-formats coverage that captured both breaking developments and the daily realities of life on the island.

With limited resources, frequent blackouts and fuel shortages, the team continued to report on major developments, including the arrival of a long-awaited Russian oil tanker. AP was live from Matanzas for hours ahead of the ship’s arrival, providing early and continuous coverage of a critical moment for a country facing worsening power outages.

At the same time, Andrea Rodríguez, Milexsy Durán and Ramón Espinosa produced a deeply reported feature on the struggles of a Cuban family, offering a human lens on the economic crisis. Durán played a key role in identifying sources willing to speak in a country where many are hesitant to engage with the media.

The team also tracked ongoing developments around fuel shortages, aid shipments and U.S.-Cuba relations, while Cristiana Mesquita contributed regular dispatches that helped drive coverage across platforms and audiences.

AP’s long-standing presence in Cuba proved essential, allowing the team to deliver consistent, authoritative reporting from a place where access is limited and conditions are difficult.

Judges praised the resilience, strong visuals and storytelling that brought to life a part of the world often unseen.

For powerfully showing how difficult life can be in a part of the world unseen by many, Cristiana Mesquita, Andrea Rodríguez, Ramón Espinosa, Milexsy Durán, Ariel Fernández, Dánica Coto, Megan Janetsky and Laura Martinez win this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.