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Regina García Cano was the reporter behind the Associated Press report that provided the first comprehensive description and identification of some of the people killed in recent U.S. military attacks on alleged drug-smuggling boats.
In dozens of interviews in villages VenezuelaOn the picturesque northeastern coast of Mexico, from where some of the boats set sail, residents and relatives told García Cano that the dead men were indeed dealing drugs, but were not narco-terrorists, as alleged. trump administration, or the leader of a cartel or gang.
Residents and relatives said most of the nine men were crewing such a ship for the first or second time, earning at least $500 per trip.
The four killed included a fisherman, a down-on-his-luck bus driver, a former military cadet and a local crime boss. Others include laborers and a motorcyclist.
This is an interview of García Cano by his editor, Dale Quentin Wilbur, on the story.
Where did you get the idea to pursue this story and why did you want to write it?
A few days after the first US military invasion, I visited Venezuela’s Paria Peninsula. I arrived with the goal of identifying the 11 people killed, and I left with an understanding of the dynamics of the area but without concrete names.
People were afraid to even speak. my return flight caracas I was still on the runway when I had already decided that I would return to the area within a few weeks.
Due to conflicting US claims I am committed to identifying as many people as possible Venezuelan Governments regarding military operations. The US government has not released any information about the dead, and the Venezuelan government has been equally cautious.
What kind of challenges are there in this type of reporting?
AP video journalist Juan Arraez and I faced many challenges in reporting this story, chief among them the very real fear of being punished by sources for speaking to journalists — especially by the Venezuelan government.
Repression is nothing new in Venezuela, but the government of President Nicolas Maduro has intensified it since last year’s presidential election, when ruling party loyalists declared him the winner despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
More than 2,000 people were detained in the days following the election, some of whom were detained because of social media posts critical of the government.
Relatives of some killed in the attacks were particularly afraid to speak to the AP because police and state intelligence agents searched their homes immediately after the deaths of their loved ones.
What did you find when you got there?
Apart from fear, I witnessed suffocating poverty throughout the journey. Closed businesses, abandoned houses, very long queues of vehicles and motorcycles waiting for fuel, and crumbling infrastructure. I also got a chance to admire the stunning natural beauty of Venezuela.
How did you verify what people told you?
We spoke to many people in many communities who knew the men at different stages of their lives.
We used social media posts and publicly available information to confirm some of the information.
Did anything, in particular, leave a lasting impression on you?
Lack of information has affected the lives of all the people in these villages. Relatives are not able to properly mourn their loved ones, even if they know they have died, because the government will not confirm deaths and may be punished if they hold a funeral.
I know how important grief can be. I have lost loved ones in recent years, and mourning rituals helped me make sense of each loss. These families may never get that chance.
Relatives of some people expressed outrage at what they called an unexplained loss.