Aura Sandoval, the first journalist to operate a teletype machine in Trujillo State / By Francisco Graterol Vargas

On December 20, the black Aura Sandoval, the popular “Chinga” of the remembered Radio Valera, which operated for many years on 10th Street in Valera, since its founding in September 1936, when General López Contreras gave the concession to the Febres, would have turned 82 years old, according to Luis González in his book «Trujillo, Illuminated Shadow»Four years later, in the capital city, Don Pedro Torres launched Radio Trujillo.

But, returning to the character of this chronicle, Aura, we met her in Valera, at the end of the 70s when two radio stations, the Dean and Radio Turismo, were competing “side by side” for the audience of the people of Valera. Aura, a native of San Genaro, was the first journalist from Trujillo to use the famous “teletype” through which news from all over the world arrived. At Diario de Los Andes, we also used it later. A roll of paper to which we had access to choose the information. At that time, the wonderful social networks were conspicuous by their absence.

In that territory dominated by men, Sandoval’s figure shone. She was part of a team made up of Rafael Ángel Lujano and Gilberto Matheus, as journalists, under the direction of Silineo Pérez and Carlos Julio Balza.

Little by little, the city was filled with radio stations, which unfortunately today only serve as jukeboxes to listen to music and certain news, but without the impetus, the drive, the warmth of Radio Valera and Radio Turismo. In the latter, I was part of Ramón Azuaje, Ramón Rivas Sáez, Rudy Linares, Rafael Hernández Abreu and Henry Baptista, who interpreted the scripts written by Antonio Pérez Carmona through a character called “La Garrapata”. It was another time, without the different kinds of commitments that exist today.

Aura Sandoval was part of that story. Yesterday the talk in San Genaro, where she was much appreciated, was the physical disappearance of “La Chinga”, whom we used to see in the homilies in the church and especially in the Christmas Masses. In addition to prayer, there was always the memory of Lujano and Gilberto Matheus, who introduced her to the world of information, public services and the handling of the teletype. I once asked Aura if any message from “Juan Pueblito” had remained engraved in her mind and without thinking much she answered: One morning when we arrived at work, an elderly gentleman was waiting for me so I could tell Ambrosio, that was his name, in Mendoza Fría, that when he came down to Valera, he should bring him the package and leave it in the press department of Radio Valera. In the middle of the morning, the man Ambrosio showed up and in a small bag he had several packs of chimó. In the afternoon, the gentleman came for the package and took it away, but not before leaving the tip, which was taken by “El Chuto” Matheus.

Aura is part of that series of characters from our city and from regional journalism. Much loved by her people of San Genaro, who will surely accompany her en masse to her final resting place. To Marilú and the rest of her family, our words of condolence.
We loved you so much Aura. Q.E.P.D.