inez
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, December 21, 2025, p. 6
On Friday, December 19, journalist Ruben Montedónico Rodríguez (Montevideo, Uruguay, 1948) died, who during his life was a protagonist or chronicler of different political and social movements in Latin America.
“He was always a tireless fighter, he never deviated from his principles,” said Celia, his wife.
Montedónico, as his classmates and friends called him, studied two university degrees, Psychology and Law, but he had the ability to research and talk about almost any topic.
He was a born conversationalist, very happy, despite everything he had to go through as a militant of armed organizations against the military dictatorship in Uruguay (1973-1985), and years later, in Nicaragua, before exile in Mexico.
Despite the long period of residence here, he was eternally nostalgic for his homeland and spoke with emotion about Uruguayan history, geography, politics and gastronomy.
He also knew a lot about sports and, of course, loyalty to Club Atlético Peñarol.
“He was a great colleague, a very good, endearing friend; a great editor, an expert in geopolitics. He had a solid political background that gave him the ability to analyze the situation, especially in the media, including electronic media,” recalled Andrés Ruiz, who like Montedónico were editors of The Day.
s The editor was born in Uruguay, but lived in Mexico after exile.Photo José Núñez
His wife Celia brings to mind not only the father – “his children admire him deeply” – but also a special aspect of his personality that he never left aside, despite adversity.
“He lived as he wanted; he knew how to live, he liked life. And I feel very proud to have shared many years with him; I didn’t manage to turn 50 (with him), but almost.”
“In his free time he watched football; he was a great football fan, a lifelong member of Peñarol, and he read, because it was one of his great passions.
“All the books that were in my house, with the exception of the boys’ school books, he read. There was not a single one that was decorative. It was his passion; he liked to eat well, he liked to travel and, of course, as everyone will know, he liked to talk.”
Chela, as her friends know her, also remembered Ruben’s perennial relationship with his homeland.
“The Uruguayan never changes what they call ‘El Paísito’; so, they can be anywhere in the world, but El Paísito is El Paísito.”
Another very great aspect – he highlighted – was the value he gave to friendship; He was very loved by his friends, who were close until the last moment. “He said that friends are the family that one chooses.
“And the most important thing: he knew how to live and not everyone knows how to do it.”
