Gente de NAHJ: Peruvian journalist wants to make D.C. Chapter history
Univision correspondent Claudia Uceda is following in her father’s footsteps. He was a reporter in her native Peru, and she was drawn to the “honorable” work he carried out.
But after five years living in fear, her life in Peru came to a close. Uceda fled when she was 19 years old after struggling with mental health. At the age of 14, Uceda was kidnapped and raped, leaving her in despair. She saw moving to the U.S. as a way to escape from the horrors she encountered in Peru.
She went on to attend the American University in Washington, D.C. and has been working in the D.C, Maryland, and Virginia area for 20 years.
Now, the Peruvian journalist wants to be the first reporter from a Spanish-speaking outlet to become D.C Chapter president.
She wants to continue the success of the chapter, which was recognized as the best one during the 2025 National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference.
“If Latinas are a minority, imagine being Peruvian,” she said.
She also plans to share her Peruvian culture with other members. Uceda said she plans for a mixer to take place at the Peruvian ambassador’s home.
Ashley C. Neyra is a student at Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, where she is pursuing a career in photojournalism. She is also a Digital Futures Institute Fellow at Montgomery Community Media, where she is working on a documentary. Reach her at ashleyneyra21 [at] gmail [dot] com or on Instagram @ashleyneyra.media
