Words Matter: Ana de León, EFE Correspondent in Central America

Ana de León, a journalist from Puerto del Rosario who earned her degree in Journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid, has spent the last six years reporting for the EFE news agency from Panama. She covers Panama itself as well as the broader Central American and Caribbean region. In a recent interview with Fuerteventura Digital, she shares her perspective on a profession shaped by the rigor of agency reporting and the realities of on‑the‑ground journalism.

Central America in Tension and the Weight of Words

During the interview, de León discusses the turbulent current affairs in Central America and the regional impact of the United States’ operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. She stresses why precise language matters when describing events.

“Words have connotations,” she reminds us, referring to the debate over whether to call the Venezuelan president’s removal an extraction, capture, detention, or kidnapping.

In agency journalism, she explains, the goal is not to interpret but to describe facts accurately:

“My responsibility is to tell you what is happening and why it is happening.”

She also reflects on the U.S. military intervention in Panama in 1989 to oust General Manuel Antonio Noriega.

“They entered Panama with a large number of soldiers, and that intervention was quite harsh and very violent,” she says, noting the hundreds of victims and the lasting imprint on several generations of Panamanians.

Reporting from a Key Node of Global Trade

Panama is a crucial economic hub, handling roughly 4 percent of global maritime traffic and serving as a jurisdiction associated with banking secrecy—a “tax haven,” as de León puts it. She notes that Panamanians are increasingly aware of this reality and that changes are underway.

Being a correspondent, she adds, carries “a responsibility” because she serves as the link between events on the ground and an international audience that needs context, not opinion.

Venezuelan Migration and Shared Memory with the Canary Islands

From her position in a major migration corridor toward the United States, de León has also covered the humanitarian drama of migration. She has left the newsroom to work in the field, especially along the Darién Gap—the treacherous jungle stretch between Colombia and Panama that is one of the continent’s most dangerous crossing points.

She highlights the role of misinformation, noting that “the great majority of people get their information from TikTok,” where criminal networks even advertise their services, prompting families to risk their lives attempting the crossing.

The story resonates with the history of the Canary Islands.

“Those people could have been me,” she says, recalling migrants who spoke of Canarian grandparents who once crossed the Atlantic in the opposite direction. For many, Venezuela remains “the eighth island.”

Experience and a Vital Outlook

De León’s career is marked by the exacting standards of a major news agency like EFE. “The facts are the facts,” she insists, emphasizing a journalism that avoids adjectives.

After more than six years in Central America, she feels settled in Panama. Outside the camera, she is accompanied by her boyfriend, Ángel. While she does not rule out future changes—“the future is uncertain”—she wishes to continue her work in a place she loves. Yet the pull of her homeland remains, and the option of returning home will always be there.