Carmelo Rivero Receives Patricio Estévanez Award for Decades in Journalism

The Association of Journalists of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (APT) presented its Patricio Estévanez Award to Carmelo Rivero this Friday. Salvador García Llanos described the award as recognition of Rivero's "constant dedication and unwavering commitment to journalism." The APT president also noted that Carmelo Rivero Ferrera (born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1957), who used to be the director and is now an editorial advisor for DIARIO DE AVISOS, has spent over fifty years in journalism. He started young, at just 12, contributing to the old evening newspaper La Tarde.

From those early days until now, Salvador García pointed out that Rivero has built an impressive and wide-ranging career. He has worked in all areas of journalism—print, radio, and television—and always with the same careful approach, whether writing news, features, profiles, or conducting interviews.

During the ceremony, Carmelo's late brother, Martín, who passed away in 2023, was frequently mentioned. Like Zenaido Hernández, Martín shared Carmelo's passion for journalism, learning, and the early days of their careers. García explained that Martín and Carmelo co-wrote "hundreds of pieces under the name Carmelo Martín," a unique byline they used as correspondents for national media and all Tenerife newspapers starting in the mid-1970s.

They both co-directed La Gaceta de Canarias when it was first established (1989-1991). Carmelo Rivero later took on the same role at DIARIO DE AVISOS (2016-2021), returning to lead the oldest newspaper in the Canary Islands.

The APT president also mentioned that Rivero "played a key role in the revival of Radio Club Tenerife, spearheaded by Paco Padrón in the late 70s." He then became a prominent voice at Cadena SER, the Canary Islands' oldest radio station, where he worked for over 30 years. During this time, he also explored television, hosting interview programs on Canal 7 and Televisión Canaria, and more recently, on Atlántico Televisión, part of Grupo Plató del Atlántico.

A piece written for the occasion by Juan Cruz, titled "Carmelo Was Already There," was also read. The journalist and writer from Puerto de la Cruz remarked, "I've known many great journalists, both here and elsewhere. Many have taught me, and still do. Carmelo Rivero is one of them. You never stop learning in this job. Carmelo is a truly essential teacher."

Cruz added, "When I met him, he was already a seasoned journalist. He reached questions and conclusions faster than others, and he always waited for the full truth before speaking. His work is flawless, his judgment aims for justice, and at his core, he is a man who keeps asking until he understands as much as reality itself." He concluded, "I celebrate this award, and I celebrate those who give it. I know that within this award lies the spirit of Martín, the other half of our distinguished honoree."

Zenaido Hernández, a professional colleague and, more importantly, a childhood friend, was given the task of speaking highly of Carmelo. He began by recalling their old neighborhood, Duggi. Hernández remembered, "The Rivero brothers' house on Duggi street became our learning hub. I cherished those times. Soon after, Martín started working at the Savings Bank, and Carmelo worked in the office of Manuel García Padrón, a lawyer and professor of Civil and Commercial Law at ULL."

However, Hernández also explained that all three had long shared "a dedication to the written word, to finding news, and to the curiosity that makes us interested in so many subjects." This shared passion first led them to work at La Tarde. He recounted, "On Saturdays, with a cassette recorder in hand, we would call our admired figures like Camilo José Cela, Ramón J. Sender, Rafael Alberti, Severo Ochoa, Miguel Ángel Asturias..."

Zenaido Hernández later stressed that "Carmelo chose a life surrounded by ink, bringing thoughts to paper. He also made his mark in radio and television, always with precision and rigor in front of the cameras, and showed editorial dedication by leading various newspapers, always driven by curiosity and seeking answers to life's questions."

Zenaido Hernández concluded by saying, "Carmelo Rivero stays on top of current events, that 'absinthe' that keeps him focused on the truth. This is Carmelo, the neighbor from Duggi, who, as a student on San Sebastián street, learned from another great teacher, Juan Antonio Padrón Albornoz. He was that kid who played ball in Duggi square, with Pepín and his foosball table and transistor radio always tuned to matches, and who keenly watched Lámparas Apa roller hockey."

In his acceptance speech for the Patricio Estévanez Award, Carmelo Rivero told a large audience of family, friends, and figures from journalism, culture, politics, and society: "For 57 years in journalism, all we've done is 'write-live.' More than half a century of 'write-living,' and we'll continue until our bodies give out."

Before that, he reflected: "Like the title of a Borges story, I hope you understand that my life has been a garden of diverging paths. Everything I'm about to say is a continuous unfolding, a double life. Today, I couldn't talk about myself without honoring my brother Martín Rivero."

He recalled, "Initially, we were a trio: Martín, Carmelo, and Zenaido. Then we became a duo, Carmelo Martín, a unique name suggested by Daniel Gavela, head of National News at El País. Martín sounded good as a surname. Gavela was good at inventing names and titles; he's the one who called our biography of Iñaki Gabilondo 'Citizen on Gran Vía.'" He then transported the audience back in time: "The balcony of our childhood home on San Sebastián street, the best balcony in the world, is still there. It was our front-row seat where Martín and I watched life unfold on the street. We always had the radio on, just like our friend Juan Cruz, who learned to read while listening to a transistor radio."

"Journalism, that seduction and abduction; one day it surprises you and snatches you like an eagle and never lets you go in life."

Rivero then shared his life story, highlighting key places like Librería La Prensa, "Uncle Paco's shop, on Castillo street, at the corner of Suárez Guerra, which became the center of our small world, the main hub." Just two steps away was "the statue of an eagle on the balcony of La Tarde newspaper, where we became journalists. That eagle made it clear this would be the central point of our entire personal universe." He added, "Nearby was Radio Club Tenerife, our home, where I worked and lived for over 30 years, as if destiny was tied to these places, and myths could exist in any era."

During this journey, the new APT Patricio Estévanez Award winner also mentioned Manuel García Padrón's law firm—"one of the most honest men I've known"—where he had his first job. He noted, "At that crossroads, the Círculo de Bellas Artes and the Teatro Guimerá introduced us to culture, with exhibitions, theater, conferences, and classical music."

"Everything I am about to say is an unfolding. I could not speak about myself without paying tribute to my brother Martín."

Carmelo Rivero emphasized his early days in journalism, saying, "When we bravely crossed the street and told the respected Don Víctor Zurita, director of La Tarde, that we wanted to be journalists, we put everything on the line. If Don Víctor had discouraged us because of our age, we might never have tried again. But he welcomed us immediately and didn't even question our young age of 12." He added, "Journalism is a seduction and an abduction. One day it surprises you, snatches you like an eagle, and never lets you go. Even now, happily retired, it still holds me." Rivero received the Canary Islands Communication Award in 2004, sharing it with his brother Martín.

From those beginnings, he described a career that led him back to DIARIO DE AVISOS, the Canary Islands' oldest newspaper, to direct it in 2016. He said, "Lucas Fernández and I have built a strong bond, from Avenida de Anaga with Radio Club, to the Fishing Dock with DIARIO DE AVISOS. Of all the challenges we've faced together, I admit that directing your newspaper in my final years was an almost superhuman test for me."

He concluded with a message of hope. "The world isn't going to collapse on us, you can be sure of that," he stated. "Even if we're talking here while Trump's paramilitaries detain five-year-old Latino children at school gates. No, the world doesn't end here. We will bear its weight, like Atlas and like beasts. This time, journalists will be the vanguard that wins the final battle against post-truth."