Hatzel Vela is an award-winning journalist and politics reporter for NBC6. Fully bilingual, he will also contribute to NBC6 sister station Telemundo 51. Vela joined the team in April of 2024, but debuted on-air in September 2024.
Prior to NBC6, Vela spent ten years at WPLG-Local 10 in Miami. In January 2017, Vela was the first local television journalist in the country to move to Cuba and cover the island from the inside.
During his time living and working on the island, he covered some of the most significant stories in post-Fidel Castro Cuba, including an exclusive interview with Mariela Castro, daughter of President Raul Castro. He also lived through and covered a category 5 Hurricane Irma as it battered the island, and reported on the damage left behind.
Prior to moving to Cuba and after the U.S. and Cuba renewed diplomatic relations in December 2014, Vela covered several of the major stories from the communist island, including the historic visits of Pope Francis in 2015 and President Barack Obama in 2016.
Vela was one of the first to report the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro, then eight hours later was on the ground in Havana gathering reaction from the Cuban people.
After returning from Cuba in the fall of 2019, Vela took on the education beat and covered many of the big issues facing local students and educators during the pandemic.
Prior to moving back to South Florida, Vela worked at WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate in Washington, where he was part of an Emmy Award-winning team for a special on the election of Pope Francis. He was also nominated for an Emmy for his work on immigration, a beat he created for himself.
Before Washington, he was a reporter at ABC affiliate KNXV-TV in Phoenix. There he covered the immigration protests that followed the passing of one of the toughest anti-illegal immigration measures at the state level, the shooting in Tucson that injured U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six and closely followed the federal bench trial of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Vela started his on-air reporting career in Charleston, South Carolina at WCSC-TV, the CBS affiliate.
Born in Nicaragua, Vela migrated to the U.S. as a child and grew up in a bilingual household in Miami. He is a graduate of Miami Coral Park Senior High School and received his Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Florida International University (FIU).
The Latest
-
‘They mattered': Families demand answers from Florida prison after inmates were killed
Two Florida families say it’s been months since their loved ones were killed in prison, and they still don’t have answers from the correctional facility where the murders took place.
-
Trump vows to declare national emergency, use military for mass deportations
Two months before Trump takes the oath of office, two immigration attorneys who know South Florida well – have a stark warning for two communities in South Florida.
-
Miami-Dade mayor, a Democrat, addresses county's seismic political shift
Daniella Levine Cava describes the Republican sweep as a “national phenomenon,” urges Democrats to do deep reflection.
-
What Marco Rubio as secretary of state could mean for Latin American politics
We asked experts on Latin America and activists what they’d like to see from a second Trump administration.
-
Judge who gained national spotlight recalls Florida's 2000 election recount
Judge Robert W. Lee, who witnessed history and played a key role in the 2000 presidential election, is retiring after almost three decades on the bench.
-
Lauderhill mayoral race gets heated amid allegations of misuse of city resources
Days before the election, Lauderhill mayoral candidate Denise Grant is facing significant scrutiny after an independent city-funded investigation found she misused city resources for personal use.
-
Political text message puts spotlight on Miami-Dade elections supervisor race
In the first partisan race for Miami-Dade Elections Supervisor, a political text sent to voters is getting attention.
-
Trump touts Latino vote in roundtable with business leaders at Doral resort
Dubbed a roundtable with Latino leaders, former President Donald Trump spent several hours at Trump National Doral in an intimate setting on Tuesday.
-
Collapsed power grid, hurricane landfall leaves Cuba in ‘total crisis'
Cuba is paralyzed with no production amid a countrywide power meltdown, a Cuban economist said
-
‘Just state the facts': Some Florida voters experiencing ballot confusion
Greg Govia, who lives in Kendall, reached out to NBC6 over concerns about the language on his ballot. “Just state the facts,” said Govia, 67, who retired from information technology and is getting ready to cast his ballot. Govia was concerned about some of the text on the ballot, particularly the amendments. “How can I find out more information about…
