Ronna Risquez

Ronna Rísquez is an investigative journalist from Venezuela. For more than 20 years, she has reported on organized crime, prisons, citizen security, migration, and human rights. Her revealing reports on gangs, drug trafficking, and police violence have exposed her country's criminal dynamics and links to political power. Her work has been recognized with the King of Spain Prize and other journalistic awards. Ronna is also the author of the book El Tren de Aragua: La banda que revoluciona el crimen organizado en América Latina (The Aragua Train: The Gang Revolutionizing Organized Crime in Latin America). This journalistic piece is the result of more than five years of research. It uncovers the existence of a Venezuelan prison gang that expanded to several countries in the Americas and later became the center of anti-immigrant discourse and the narrative against drug cartels in the current Donald Trump administration. Her book is used as a reference text by experts, academics, and researchers in Latin America and the United States, and is an example of investigative journalism in the region. Ronna also participated in the Panama Papers investigation. She currently coordinates the Alianza Rebelde Investiga (ARI), an editorial coalition comprised of Venezuelan digital media outlets Runrun.es, El Pitazo and TalCual. She is also the editor of Monitor de Víctimas, a platform that records data on violence. She holds a degree in Social Communication from the Central University of Venezuela. She was a fellow in the journalism and trauma program at the Dart Center at Columbia University. She participated in the Drug Policy and Human Rights diploma program at CIDE, Mexico, and in the Martin Baron workshop for editors at Connectas.