Diario de los Andes… 46 years of good relations with the people

Gabriel Montenegro / [e-mail]

46 years ago (1978) President Carlos Andrés Pérez cut the ribbon that officially inaugurated the then new communications project for the state of Trujillo; Diario de Los Andes then began a new cycle of journalistic belonging, translated simply into the appearance of the second most important printed medium in the region, after multiple attempts by similar local publications, since the dawn of the early twentieth century, but which over the years remained as a pleasant memory of our local history.

The journey towards excellence begins

Diario de Los Andes immediately caught on with the Trujillo sentiment, which quickly accepted it and within a few years it not only became the preference of many, but also began a cycle of a kind of fierce competition with the already existing and traditional Diario El Tiempo (1958) of the Mazzarri family, a situation settled healthily years later, in a gentlemen’s agreement between Dr. Eladio Muchacho and the remembered Luis Mazzarri Montilla. At that time they even came to be called the “Red Newspaper” and the “Blue Newspaper”.

Renowned communicators

It is worth remembering the initial arrival of prominent communicators such as Guillermo Montilla, Jesús Romero Anselmi, Eleazar Diaz Rangel and the successful incorporation of sports man Francisco Graterol Vargas.

On the administrative side, we remember Eladio Muchacho himself, Aníbal Miranda and Miriam Gil de Ruiz, who played a fundamental role in terms of logistics, transportation and distribution of the “final product”, which was none other than selling good journalism, providing truthful and impartial information and participating directly in the consolidation of regional development through the full exercise of freedom of expression, the pluralism of ideas and being an open space for those who could not express their concerns and needs, also opening this great door to Trujillo public opinion.

The journalists of this type include: Photojournalists Nelson Arturo Maya, Rofolfo Zambrano, Alfredo Zambrano Gilberto Ascanio Gregorio González, Narciso Rondón, Iván Hidalgo Hernández Edgar Alviso, Oswaldo and Isaac Pirela, Luis Romero, Edwin, Nelson Portillo, Onesimo Caracas, Pedro Torres, Arnoldo Medina and of course the boss Layisse Cuenca along with her current team of professionals, have left, over the years, a deep mark of undeniable professional quality.

We continue “just the same”

Diario de los Andes has maintained its prestige as a serious media outlet, dedicated to the best causes of objective and impartial journalism, and Eladio Muchacho, despite very difficult times for everyone, has managed to maintain the spirit of unity and humanism in his staff.
In these 46 years of forceful and determined collective and village presence, I cannot fail to mention all our columnists, writers, people from academia and cultural pages, among them the illustrious Raúl Díaz Castaneda, Antonio “Toño” Vale, Francisco González Cruz, Alfredo Matheus, Alexis Berríos Berríos, Arnoldo Bolívar, Rafael Alfonzo, Victor Bravo, Henry Montilla Perdomo, the poet Zambrano, Ali Medina Machado, Ramón Pachano, Simón Rojas, Oscar Portes, Marlene Briceño, Pedro Bazó, Enrique Araque, among many men of intellect, letters and art who have enriched with their wisdom our content directed to all without exception.

I want to think of better times, of the long-awaited return of tolerance and respect for free discernment, as well as making vows that Andes Journal continue your praiseworthy work of informing, educating, and being a sincere spokesperson for the permanent concerns and needs of a thriving group that only aspires to prosperity, peace, unity, tranquility, and the certainty of a better world for present and future generations. So be it.