Tibisay Zea

Reporter

The World

Tibisay Zea is a reporter with The World based in Boston.

Tibisay Zea is a reporter with The World based in Boston.

She has experience reporting stories about Latin America and immigration in the United States.

Before joining The World, Tibisay covered a breadth of issues critically important to Greater Boston, such as wealth inequities, housing instability, climate change and social determinants of health.

As a community fellow at the MIT Center for Constructive Communication, she

developed a guide for journalists to report on communities of color.

Tibisay grew up in Venezuela and attended journalism school in Spain. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and is an active member of the NationalAssociation of Hispanic Journalists.

She is also a classically trained pianist and singer and likes to play music from Latin America.

people in a line

Dominican Republic closes border with Haiti over water rights dispute

​​​​​​​Tensions have escalated between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The neighboring countries are now in a serious dispute over water rights. The Dominican government sealed the border and stopped issuing visas to all Haitian citizens until the dispute is resolved. 

Dominican Republic closes border with Haiti over water rights dispute
candlelight vigil

What the 1973 coup means for Chileans today — 50 years later

What the 1973 coup means for Chileans today — 50 years later
A graphic with three photos. Left to right: Wheat harvest, Tibisay Zea and a man harvesting wheat in Senegal.

VIDEO EXPLAINER: How the war in Ukraine is affecting wheat exports and food culture in Senegal

VIDEO EXPLAINER: How the war in Ukraine is affecting wheat exports and food culture in Senegal
man holding weapon

In Haiti, pastor leads followers into gunfire

In Haiti, pastor leads followers into gunfire
protest

In Latin America, many single mothers struggle to get child support. Activists and public officials are trying to change that.

In Latin America, many single mothers struggle to get child support. Activists and public officials are trying to change that.
Under the suspicion of drug consumption, police officers frisk a group of migrants at a camp on a street in downtown El Paso, Texas, April 30, 2023.

Report: Human rights abuses by US immigration officials are rampant at the southern border

Two human rights advocacy groups have listed hundreds of incidents of human rights violations by immigration officials that include physical violence, verbal abuse and sexual harassment — including some cases that have been fatal.

Report: Human rights abuses by US immigration officials are rampant at the southern border
fishermen with dead sharks

The illegal trade of shark fin is thriving in South America

Peru is the world's largest exporter of shark fins, according to the marine protection organization Oceana. The catches are usually sent to Asia, where shark fin soup is a delicacy that can cost about $200 a bowl. This lucrative trade is threatening species of sharks off the coasts of Peru and neighboring Ecuador.

The illegal trade of shark fin is thriving in South America
Senegalese rap artist "Paco Pat Ghetto."

‘Planet Hip Hop': Senegalese rappers push for social and political change

This summer, we are taking you on a global journey to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. In Senegal, hip-hop has evolved from something of a fad, to an influential force for social change.

‘Planet Hip Hop': Senegalese rappers push for social and political change
An offshore gas terminal is lit up amid the Atlantic Ocean as houses lay on the beachfront between the sea and the Senegal River, bottom, in Saint-Louis, Senegal, Jan. 18, 2023.

Europe looks to Senegal for new energy supply. But what’s in it for the Senegalese?

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many European countries have been trying to find ways to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. One place they’re starting to look is West Africa, where Senegal and Mauritania are capitalizing on recent discoveries of natural gas. But many locals are wondering how much they will benefit from their own country’s resources.

Europe looks to Senegal for new energy supply. But what’s in it for the Senegalese?
The ancient fishing village of Guet Ndar in Saint-Louis, Senegal.

An important fishing village in Senegal is on the verge of disappearing as sea levels rise

The former administrative capital of French West Africa, Saint-Louis in Senegal sits between the Senegal River and the Atlantic Ocean. Its highest point stands just 13 feet above sea level, and it gets waves from both fresh and seawater that have become a growing threat as water levels rise.

An important fishing village in Senegal is on the verge of disappearing as sea levels rise
bread and flour

Is it time for Senegal to end its romance with the French baguette?

The war in Ukraine has interrupted the delivery of wheat to Senegal, and that’s shaking up a big part of that country's culture.

Is it time for Senegal to end its romance with the French baguette?
a group of students sitting barefoot on the ground as they go through burned documents

Young Senegalese feel the impact of the country's political crisis

Senegal is often seen as a model of political stability in West Africa. But that could be changing. President Macky Sall has upset people with the suggestion that he may run for a third term next year, defying the Constitution, and young people are increasingly frustrated by a lack of opportunities. Recent protests turned deadly, and most victims were under the age of 30.

Young Senegalese feel the impact of the country's political crisis
A woman in the middle of a crop field holding crops

An engineer in Bolivia is reviving an ancestral, nutritious grain for the 21st century

An Indigenous woman in Bolivia has earned international recognition for her work in the production, transformation and commercialization of cañahua, a resilient crop and nutritious grain with the potential to reach international markets.

An engineer in Bolivia is reviving an ancestral, nutritious grain for the 21st century
people walking around

Migrants stranded in Mexico rush to cross the US border before Title 42 ends

​​​​​​​The number of migrants waiting on the Mexican side of the border appears to be dwindling. Shelters in cities like Ciudad Juárez are emptying as many migrants have decided to surrender to US authorities before Title 42 ends on Thursday evening.

Migrants stranded in Mexico rush to cross the US border before Title 42 ends
people camped on the street

More migrants cross US-Mexico border days before restrictions end  

With Title 42 restrictions set to end on May 11, migrants have been crossing into the US in large numbers. There are now as many as 2,500 migrants camped out in downtown El Paso, Texas. The city's mayor, who estimates that 10,000-12,000 more people are in Juárez, waiting to cross, has declared a state of emergency.

More migrants cross US-Mexico border days before restrictions end