A man who is wearing a grey cap smiles at the camera.

Jorge Valencia

Reporter

Jorge Valencia is the lead Latin America correspondent for The World.

Prior to joining the program in 2020, Jorge served as Mexico City-based correspondent for Arizona public radio station KJZZ-FM, covering politics, economics and migration in Mexico. Jorge previously covered state government and politics for North Carolina Public Radio. And before that, he began his career covering crime at the Roanoke Times in southwest Virginia.

Jorge, who grew up in downtown Bogotá, Colombia, and the suburbs of Washington, DC, graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He is based in Mexico City.

Recent Stories

Protest

'Homeland and life': The chant to Cuba’s anti-government protests

The World

July 20, 2021

"We never wrote the song for us. We didn’t do it to get attention. We did it for the people. We did [it] because we want change," said Cuban singer Randy Malcom, about his song, "Patria y vida," in an interview with The World's Latin America correspondent, Jorge Valencia.

Peru’s likely next president is popular with Indigenous voters. It’s made him a target for hate speech.

The World

July 02, 2021

Peru’s closely contested presidential election exposes a long-standing but rarely acknowledged problem in the country — a legacy of marginalizing Indigenous people, who account for more than 26% of the population.

COVID-19

Thousands of medical workers left behind in Mexico’s vaccination program

The World

April 28, 2021

As governments the world over prioritize medical workers for vaccines, thousands in Mexico’s private health care sector say they’re being passed over.

Elections

Peru polarized by two social conservatives in presidential runoff

The World

April 16, 2021

The two will go head-to-head in a second round of voting on June 6, with a majority of voters disappointed in their options.

COVID-19

Honduras and other countries at the ‘back of the line’ in global vaccine distribution

The World

March 23, 2021

In Honduras and in low-income countries across the world, the vaccination process is riddled with uncertainty.

COVID-19

Russia expands ‘soft power’ in Latin America with Sputnik vaccine

The World

March 02, 2021

For Russia, the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is an opportunity to appeal to faraway governments and citizens.

COVID-19

Mexico’s COVID-19 wards are full. Many patients who can’t get oxygen die at home.

The World

February 12, 2021

In many cities across Latin America, including Mexico City, patients with the coronavirus are struggling to receive vital medical oxygen to stay alive. Many who couldn’t find space in overflowing emergency rooms are dying at home.

Colombian singer Carlos Vives: Protecting the environment is the ‘only way to save folklore’

The World

December 22, 2020

In an interview with The World’s Latin America correspondent, Jorge Valencia, the well-known pop singer talks about how the environment shapes his music.

Global Politics

Exiled Venezuelan dissident says Sunday's National Assembly elections are a 'fraud'

The World

December 04, 2020

Leopoldo López, in exile in Spain, is speaking out against the Venezuelan National Assembly elections being held Sunday by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Sports

Remembering Diego Maradona, a leftie on the field — and in politics

The World

November 30, 2020

While Diego Maradona never ran or held public office, his success on the field, larger-than-life personality and friendships with leftist leaders connected him to political life in Argentina and across Latin America over more than three decades.

Jorge Valencia

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