Latin America and Spain Connect in Miguel de los Santos' Journalistic Portraits

Journalist and writer Miguel de los Santos is strengthening the connection between Spain and Latin America with his new book, 'Portraits on the Other Shore.' The work compiles his professional experiences and journalistic portraits of celebrated cultural and political figures from across the Atlantic.

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And what will you live on, son?

De los Santos, who began his career in 1936, revisited his time as a reporter in Latin America, using the nostalgic sound of his old typewriter to shape the 27 portraits in his latest book. Figures like Pablo Neruda, Mario Benedetti, Chabuca Granda, and Joan Manuel Serrat are among the protagonists whose stories fill the pages. The book creates a synergy between journalism and deep narrative, immersing the reader in the diverse settings De los Santos traveled through.

Following the success of his 2018 memoir, 'Tales of My Memory,' De los Santos felt inspired to return to his journalistic roots. He recounted his father's initial skepticism about his career choice, "How will you live, son?" but De los Santos pursued his dream of storytelling, becoming a well-known figure in Spanish journalism.

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I rediscovered the reason that led me to journalism: to write.

His focus extended beyond Spain to Latin America, a region he describes as having "an exacerbated culture" and being a "world of surprises and shocks." De los Santos directed cultural programs and documentaries, such as the renowned RTVE program '300 Million,' all centered on the Ibero-American world. He views the Ibero-American link as a "marvelous exchange," rejecting the term "colonization" based on his extensive travels and deep engagement with these countries over 50 years.

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It was love at first sight with a world I couldn't imagine. What I found there was a world of surprises, shocks, of an exacerbated culture.

With 'Portraits on the Other Shore,' De los Santos intends to guide readers into the heart of Latin American culture and its people. He expresses a vision of a future "Hispanic homeland," a large and important nation that serves as a melting pot of cultures originating from the same root but exhibiting diverse expressions.

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It is a marvelous exchange to which I do not consider it appropriate to call 'colonization', after having spent 50 years traveling through all those countries and also with the interest and depth with which we do our work.