By Miguel Reyes Razo
CONGRATULATIONS DEAR JOAQUÍN
It was when the rise of Mao collar shirts occurred. That fashion that banished the tie broke out, with the same authority that the long, unkempt and tousled hair challenged – and defeated – the Wildrot, the “Fijapelo Polans” and the expensive “Alberto VO-5”. Greñeros that provoked oblique and resigned glances. And bittersweet: “Ah, what guys these are! They no longer know what to invent. Now they come out with their sayings: The New Wave -them- and the Momiza -the older ones-. The people in. The old people out. Where do they go? will we stop?
It happened when audacious publicists at the service of the magnate Gabriel Alarcón Chargoy, owner of the “Golden Chain”, the company that owns all the cinemas in the country, added to the header of their newspaper “El Heraldo de México” the apostille “…Think young…” E intrepid boasted with “No glass half empty…It’s half full…”
Along with the successful businessman, his two children. Gabriel – until his misfortune, and the day of his death, already in his eighties and ailing, called Gabrielito and the young Óscar, impulsive, strong scholar of the newly created Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico – ITAM – the daily attraction grew. “Money calls Money” – the patriarch proclaimed and tried to attract the best reporters and columnists. Luis Spota, Agustín Barrios Gómez, Pepe Alameda, Raúl Sánchez Hidalgo, Daniel Cadena, …The prestigious Joaquín Menéndez commissioned the purchase and installation of the very modern German-made GOSS rotary press. Jealous of his large investment, he practiced another of his sayings: “In the eye of the master…the horse fattens” and every day, at twilight, he stood in the editorial office and from his seat – an armchair identical to the ones he installed in his cinematographers – reviewed political columns and observed the behavior of his employees. “Waters, Don Ga has arrived,” he ran, the voice alerted.
“Mr. Alarcón – they attracted him. The Chief of Information does not “give the wide”. Ángel Torres is well known as “El burro”. And he lives up to the nickname. A few days ago, Luis Spota suggested to him: “Send a reporter to the airport, Don Ángel. Octavio Paz arrives.” And “El burro” was quick to take note and stopped Spota: “With pleasure, sir. Just do me a favor. Who is Octavio Paz? We need a good Chief Information Officer, Don Ga.” And Don Ga inquired and asked here and there. “There is a very good one,” they told him. He is young, serious, very hardworking. His name is Mario Santoscoy. He worked at “La Prensa”. And in the “News”. He works a lot.
Philanthropist, member of the club of rich businessmen in Mexico, advisor to several groups and banks. Don Ga contributed to the operation of higher education centers, colleges and universities that defended – promoted – Catholicism and good customs.
“We have a young man who wants to be a journalist, Don Gabriel. He is intelligent, lively. Very educated. Son of Spaniards and himself Spanish. His name is Joaquín. That’s it. Joaquín López-Dóriga Velandia.
“The airport is going to be ‘covered’, López-Dóriga. Get very abused. There are a thousand stories there every day. Give it a try.”
Then we met. Joaquín arrived in his brand new, luxuriously equipped Volkswagen.
“Quihubo Maicquings. My buddy Reyessorra. Guelitomi…
“Okay, Quinjoa. Full blast Pezlogadori. What’s up, countess?”
“I invite you to the Señorial. For a while. Let’s go
So in the newspaper. Good, healthy friendship. Years later:
“Norma Meraz, López Dóriga and Reyes Razo take charge of “24 HOURS of the Afternoon” – the lawyer Jacobo Zabludovsky decided in mid-1973.
And also:
“López Dóriga goes to Vietnam.
“Reyes Razo covers the war in Lebanon.
Later:
“I invite you to “Siete Días”. I’m leaving Televisa. I’m going to Channel 13. Come
“Thank you, Quinjoa. I am very comfortable at “El Universal”. Juan Francisco Ealy treats me very well.
“We are going to Delhi. With Indira Gandhi, Miguelazo.
“Come on my dear Joaquín.
And to campaigns for the Presidency of the Republic. With López Portillo, with Miguel De la Madrid. With Carlos Salinas. Come on.
“Well, since they say that my work is worth a page,” Joaquín joked, “I have to write a lot of pages.” The tour began. “Day One,” he began.
In October 1989, at the Mexican embassy in Washington in front of Ambassador Gustavo Petriccioli, I introduced him: “President, here is Joaquín López Dóriga.” They shook hands. “I don’t see you but I read you, Joaquín,” added the young Head of State. Beginning of countless trips. For the Teelecé that cost Carlos Salinas de Gortari so much effort. Joaquin, Fidel Samaniego and Reyes Razo accompanied him tirelessly on hectic trips. They reviewed those days. In the last days of his six-year term he invited us to eat at Los Pinos.
“It is not very comfortable to live here,” he told us. Many people work in the maintenance of the residence. Their work begins before dawn. In reality, I live in a kind of not very large apartment.
“Here,” he added, “I lived intense days. I gained and lost weight…
“…He kept the weight – I cut him off
With my dear friend Joaquín Adriana, his wife. His daughters. “My, our princesses,” he presented.
Since the days of intense 68 Joaquín López-Dóriga Velandia and I have been friends.
Congratulations dear Joaquín.