Luis Ramirez has been VOA's Bureau Chief in Beijing since August 2003.
Prior to Beijing, Luis served as VOA's West Africa correspondent stationed in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He covered more than 20 countries in West and Central Africa. Along with providing news on coup attempts, political assassinations, child labor, and ethnic and religious unrest, he covered peaceful, democratic elections in nations including Ghana, Mali, and Nigeria and was on the scene to bring news of the difficult return to peace in Sierra Leone.
Luis came to VOA in 1999 after spending six years as a street reporter for an all-news radio station in his hometown of Los Angeles, California, where he garnered some awards for his coverage of breaking news events. His work, which included extensive coverage of US-Mexico border issues, took him to Mexico, Central America and Cuba.