MEXICO CITY — The Associated Press has named two experienced journalists to help lead its award-winning coverage of Latin America, rounding out an all-formats management team that will promote visual, digital-friendly storytelling and cutting-edge enterprise tailored to the needs of customers.
Eduardo Castillo, a veteran reporter and news manager, has been appointed Deputy News Director for Production in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Maeva Bambuck, a video journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, will become Planning Director for the region.
The appointments were announced Friday by Paul Haven, the AP’s Director of News for Latin America and the Caribbean. Both positions will be based in Mexico City.
In his new role, Castillo will oversee text, photo and video editors and translators in Mexico City, Madrid, Washington, New York and elsewhere, ensuring the report — in all formats and in both English and Spanish — remains the essential source for news from and of interest to Latin America. As Planning Director, Bambuck will work with news leaders in the field to hone their coverage plans, maximize resources and enhance communication with customers.
“Eduardo is one of the most respected reporters and managers in Latin America, and Maeva brings energy, innovative visual ideas and field experience from assignments in Afghanistan, Syria and other hot spots,” said Haven. “I am thrilled to have them on our leadership team.”
Castillo, 40, has worked for the cooperative since 2003. A native of Mexico, he has led Spanish-language coverage of many of the most important stories in Latin America in recent years, including the war on drugs in his home country, four papal visits to the region, the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and rapprochement between Cuba and the United States.
In 2015 he was a leading reporter on the award-winning project “The Other Disappeared,” a series about hundreds of kidnap victims who have vanished in southern Mexico.
Castillo has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM.
Bambuck, 33, has worked as a video journalist for AP since 2014, covering the tumult and violence in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere in the Middle East.
She was part of the team that launched the cooperative’s regional video service, Middle East Extra, and contributed to cross-format projects exploring the Syrian civil war and destruction caused by the Islamic State group.
Bambuck joined AP from Afghanistan, where she previously freelanced for France24, Le Figaro, AFP and CCTV. She also worked with AP as a freelance producer in Haiti in 2010 and 2011.
A native of France, Bambuck holds degrees in journalism and international relations from Boston University.