Stephen Gibbs - Venezuela - The Times/Economist/CGTN

<p>What drew so much media attention to Venezuela only a few years ago and why has it fizzled out? Stephen Gibbs (<a href='https://twitter.com/STHGibbs'>@STHGIbbs</a>), a freelancer based in Caracas, tells us about covering the unrest and his encounters with Hugo Chavez and Maduro. As a former longtime BBC correspondent, Gibbs also talks about covering Cuba - including Castro revealing his relationship with Ernest Hemingway and a chance meeting with a rogue CIA agent.</p> <p>Countries featured: United Kingdom, Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Brazil, Venezuela</p> <p>Publications featured: BBC, The Times (of London), The Economist, CGTN</p> <p>Stephen discusses getting his start writing gossip items and producing news for children (8:36), making the jump to producing the nightly news at the BBC and transitioning to on-camera newsman in Cuba (15:35), meeting Fidel Castro at an event about Ernest Hemingway (23:34), Cuba revoking his media accreditation (28:11), moving to Mexico and covering swine flu there (35:15), going freelance and moving to Brazil and Venezuela (41:36), being in the middle of turbulent Venezuelan politics while juggling assignments from three publications (46:30), a story that got away about a fugitive former CIA agent living in Cuba (55:25), covering the coup that ousted Haiti’s president in 2004 (1:00:20) and finally the lightning round (1:08:20).</p> <p> </p> <p>Here are links to some of the things we talked about:</p> <p>Stephen’s documentary on Easter Island - <a href='https://bit.ly/3zgJT7n'>https://bit.ly/3zgJT7n</a></p> <p>Observer article on fugitive CIA agent - <a href='https://bit.ly/32JORO9'>https://bit.ly/32JORO9</a></p> <p>Stephen’s interview with Brazil’s Bolsonaro - <a href='https://bit.ly/3sQQC6W'>https://bit.ly/3sQQC6W</a></p> <p>Private Eye - <a href='https://bit.ly/3qCYQNb'>https://bit.ly/3qCYQNb</a></p> <p>BBC interview with Belarus leader Lukashenko - <a href='https://bit.ly/3FNDoeW'>https://bit.ly/3FNDoeW</a></p> <p>Harry’s Garage - <a href='https://bit.ly/3eGc4