Maria Elena is the Social Media Editor for The World. She is a multimedia journalist with a dedication to channeling storytelling through social media. She likes reaching and engaging with new audiences and taking chances to experiment.Maria Elena worked in international development before switching careers to journalism over a decade ago.Prior to joining The World, Maria Elena covered Latin America as a TV producer for Al Jazeera English, working on breaking news, feature stories and documentaries in most countries in Latin America and all Brazilian states.She also worked as a senior planning producer for Al Jazeera America in New York. Besides English, she is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.In addition to her social media work, Maria Elena was the project manager for the 'Every 30 Seconds' multi-media project — a collaboration between The World and public radio stations across the US, following the stories of young Latino voters ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Senegal is often seen as a model of political stability in West Africa. But that could be changing. President Macky Sall has upset people with the suggestion that he may run for a third term next year, defying the Constitution, and young people are increasingly frustrated by a lack of opportunities. Recent protests turned deadly, and most victims were under the age of 30.