Cuban-American Reporter Nora Gámez Torres Awarded Prestigious Cabot Prize

Cuban-born journalist Nora Gámez Torres, based in Florida and contributing to The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, was recently honored with the Gold Medal of the Maria Moors Cabot Prize by Columbia University for her distinguished reporting on Latin America and Cuba.

Gámez Torres had originally viewed journalism as a temporary sidestep from academia. After earning a degree in journalism in Havana and further studies abroad—culminating in a PhD in sociology in London—she entered journalism when an opportunity at El Nuevo Herald arose. Over time, she became a leading voice covering US-Cuba relations and internal developments on the island.

Her reporting repertoire includes high-profile events such as President Obama’s historic visit to Cuba, the July 11, 2021, nationwide protests, and the death of Fidel Castro. The Cabot jury lauded her work as “fair, accurate, and groundbreaking,” noting that under tight state control of Cuban media, many citizens rely on her reports to learn about events in their own country.

Gámez Torres has also delivered rigorous investigations into Cuba’s opaque economy. In one notable report, she exposed how GAESA—the military’s economic arm—is responsible for nearly 40 percent of the country’s GDP, with assets in the tens of billions. She said that her academic training—in research methods, statistics, and sociology—sharpened her ability to unpack the island’s power structures and financial mechanisms.

In accepting the prize, Gámez Torres expressed humility and gratitude, reflecting on her inclusion alongside earlier Cuban and Cuban-American journalists who have received the distinction. She also emphasized the significance of the award for the Herald, acknowledging that her coverage lends visibility to Cuba beyond the U.S. foreign policy lens.

The Maria Moors Cabot Prize is among the oldest international journalism awards, recognizing outstanding reporting on the Americas. Gámez Torres is the 17th journalist from the Herald to receive the Gold Medal.

To read more – 

Nora Gámez Torres, Cuban Journalist in Florida, Wins Maria Moors Cabot Prize

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article311510547.html