Latest news with #Televisa
Forbes
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Fernando Colunga Returns To Univision In ‘Amanecer,' Premiering In July
Fernando Colunga and Livia Brito star in "Amanecer," which debuts July 7, 2025. Fernando Colunga is heading back to Univision in July. The longtime Mexican Televisa leading man of countless hit telenovelas - from the 1990s to the present, such as La Usurpadora, Amor Real and El maleficio - will be headlining Amanecer. He co-stars in the new revenge-filled romance alongside Livia Brito, who has also had her share of recent leading roles, including Mujer de Nadie and Minas de Pasión, both TelevisaUnivision productions. Amanecer centers on Leonel Carranza (Colunga), a once-kind landowner whose life is shattered by betrayal and tragedy. After his wife abandons him and his daughter dies in a devastating fire, Leonel's grief turns to vengeance. He blames Alba Palacios (Brito) and her family, whom he holds responsible for the tragedy. Driven by his thirst for vengeance, Leonel forces the debt-burdened Alba into a loveless marriage, setting the stage for a tale of obsession, resentment and the possibility of redemption. Catherine Siachoque, telenovela villainess extraordinaire, joins the cast in her TelevisaUnivision debut. The Colombian actress portrays Amapola, a cunning antagonist whose presence threatens to upend everyone's lives. Amanecer's ensemble cast also features Daniel Elbittar (La herencia, El amor no tiene receta) as Sebastián Peñalosa, a doctor with a dangerous obsession for Alba, and Ana Belena (Amor amargo, El Maleficio) as Atocha, Leonel's manipulative sister. Colunga's return to Univision comes after a successful run with Telemundo, where he signed a multi-project contract in 2020. As part of that deal, he starred in the revenge-themed series El Conde: Amor Y Honor in 2024, a modern reimagining of "The Count of Monte Cristo," set in 1950s Mexico. The series finale ranked as the most-watched Spanish-language program in its 10 p.m. timeslot, according to Nielsen ratings. The Juan Osorio production will debut on Monday, July 7 and air weeknights at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on Univision.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Why we fly the Mexican flag at the L.A. protests
Enrique Acevedo is anchor of the news program 'En Punto' on Televisa. I was there as protesters flooded the streets of downtown Los Angeles, their chants rising over sirens and the buzz of low-flying helicopters. The air was thick with smoke, and the sharp, acrid sting of chemicals burned the throat and made eyes water. Loud bangs echoed off concrete buildings, followed by the thud of rubber bullets hitting pavement and bodies. A wall of L.A. police officers stood unmoving at the edge of the crowd. And above it all, in the chaos and confrontation, was a sea of raised fists and Mexican flags. Not tucked in a pocket or painted on a cheek, but unfurled and waving high, as if daring the city, the country, to see them.
LeMonde
09-06-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
Mexico data leak exposes broadcaster's methods to destroy reputations of public figures
Letter from Mexico City "Remember these words, 'Televisa Leaks.'" "Today," Aristegui Noticias "reveals a massive leak of documents from Televisa, the largest media conglomerate in Latin America. It shows how this channel attacks its opponents and assists its allies." On April 27, Carmen Aristegui, the most listened-to voice in Mexico, opened her two-hour radio program with this scoop. She is also one of the country's most respected journalists, someone whom those in power have repeatedly tried to silence, but who has never let go of the microphone. On that day, "Aristegui Noticias" revealed that once again, Carmen Aristegui had been the victim of manipulation – this time by Televisa, Mexico's leading private television channel. The leak, totaling five terabytes of data – twice the size of the Panama Papers – came from a former employee of the channel's so-called "war room," known as Palomar. German Gomez provided a wealth of information, from the team's chat logs to details of "media warfare operations" carried out between 2018 and 2024.
Los Angeles Times
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Pablo Cruz Guerrero didn't grow up with ‘El Chavo,' but Chespirito became his purpose
Unlike generations of Mexican children before and after him, actor Pablo Cruz Guerrero didn't grow up watching the hugely popular sitcoms created by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, the late writer, producer and performer better known as 'Chespirito' or 'Little Shakespeare.' It's a wonder, considering that at peak, Gómez Bolaños' family-friendly programs were watched by over 300 million people worldwide, and they remain pop culture pillars across Latin America — even in Portuguese-speaking Brazil — 50 years after they first aired. The programs' influence also extends to the U.S. among diasporic communities, enduring through reruns that periodically introduce his characters to new viewers. The catchphrases Gómez Bolaños penned have also become ingrained in the vernacular of many countries. His most popular creation, 'El Chavo del Ocho,' centers on an orphan boy (which he played) living in a courtyard apartment complex filled with peculiar neighbors. Then there's 'El Chapulín Colorado,' a satirical take on tights-wearing superheroes, where Gómez Bolaños plays an inept though goodhearted paladin (chapulín means grasshopper in Mexico). That Cruz Guerrero, 41, wasn't familiar with these landmark shows or characters is all the more shocking because he's now embodied Gómez Bolaños in the new bioseries 'Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose' ('Chespirito: Sin querer queriendo'), streaming on Max starting Thursday with new episodes weekly. The actor's lack of nostalgic attachment for the universe of physical comedy, wordplay and social commentary that Chespirito created gave him a leg up when auditioning, he believes. 'I want to convince myself that this was the one thing that allowed me to gain objectivity about the story,' he says in Spanish during a recent video call from Mexico City. 'Had I been a fan, I would have been ridden with nerves when approaching the character.' It was casting director Isabel Cortázar who first saw Cruz Guerrero's potential, and in mid-2023, asked him to audition for the part. 'Before receiving her call, I would have never seen myself as Chespirito,' he says. 'No one had ever told me before that I looked like him.' Cruz Guerrero has been consistently acting for over 20 years in films ('El Estudiante,' 'From Prada to Nada') and TV. More recently, he played a memorable antagonist in the second and third seasons of Netflix's 'Luis Miguel: The Series,' another bioseries about the famed Mexican singer played by Diego Boneta. As to why he didn't watch Chespirito's work during his childhood, Cruz Guerrero hypothesizes that because his parents lived in Los Angeles for three years before he and his siblings were born, they were more interested in culture produced outside of Mexico. Instead, they took them to the cinema, to outdoor concerts and museum exhibits. Ironically, Cruz Guerrero has appeared on several Televisa productions over the years, the same storied network that produced Chespirito's work. 'In middle school, I had a social and comedic disadvantage because many of my friends knew all of Chespirito's jokes and imitated the characters' voices, and I couldn't follow along,' Cruz Guerrero says. When offered a chance to vie for the role, he consumed as much Chespirito content as he could find online, whether it was of Gómez Bolaños playing his characters or interviews he gave. The arduous audition process required Cruz Guerrero to appear every Tuesday for about seven weeks for a variety of tests. Beyond doing scenes from the episodes of 'Chespirito,' each meeting would add more elements that got him closer to Gómez Bolaños: He tried on the costumes, interacted with the actors who would play his children, he shaved his beard and tried on the prosthetic nose, contact lenses and receding hairline required for the role. And even then, as the weeks dragged on, Cruz Guerrero wasn't certain he'd be picked, especially after sharing with the family of Gómez Bolaños, who are involved in the production, his neophyte status on everything Chespirito. 'I could read on their faces they were thinking, 'Are we making the right decision with someone who doesn't genuinely love our father's legacy already?'' the actor recalls. Ultimately, Cruz Guerrero won them over because he was able to closely replicate the mannerisms and voice of the real Chespirito. Gómez Bolaños' physicality called to mind silent film era icons such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. 'I felt like if I tried to play around with my feet and knees when I walked, not only did I lose a little bit of height to get closer to Roberto's height, but it also put me in a position to feel a little more playful with my body,' says Cruz Guerrero while wiggling his arms. Roberto Gómez Fernandez, Chespirito's son, admits he initially had doubts about Cruz Guerrero. The show had been in the works for about four years at that point, two of which had been spent searching for the right actors to recreate Gómez Bolaños' world. Slowly, as Cruz Guerrero refined his performance and the makeup got him closer to Chespirito's image, Gómez Fernandez became convinced they had found their man. 'I saw my father in him,' says Gómez Fernandez on a recent Zoom chat, 'during complex situations in a scene and in a little wink or a glance that Pablo did.' The family's approval fueled him. 'They would say to me, 'I just heard my dad through you. I just had a conversation with my dad. I just shook his hand and gave him a hug,' says Cruz Guerrero, who recalls being deeply moved. 'That empowered me to feel more in his skin and not feel self-doubt because of my previous distance.' Once he officially landed the role, Cruz Guerrero immersed himself in Gómez Bolaños' personal and professional life via his autobiography, 'Sin querer queriendo,' which lends the series its title. It functioned as a link between the actor and the creator, who died in 2014. 'I was trying to establish a metaphysical dialogue through the words he had written and edited himself in the book,' Cruz Guerrero says. 'I asked him questions, and I feel like we had very beautiful conversations thanks to the book.' Many of the pointed questions that Cruz Guerrero sought answers to in the text revolved around fatherhood, namely the elusive notion of work-life balance. 'In our careers, there are moments of beautiful enlightenment where you're creating and having a great time,' he says. 'However, you're also aware that you're fulfilling a contract, and chasing financial compensation. This means that you're investing time and energy and you often prioritize the professional instead of being at home and you miss your family.' That struggle became rather personal for the actor during this process. 'I found out I was going to be a father for the first time the same week I found out I was going to play Roberto,' recalls Cruz Guerrero. 'I wanted to absorb knowledge from him about his experience as a father and the experiences I was about to embark on playing him.' While the series features moments where Cruz Guerrero dons the emblematic attire of Chavo del Ocho and Chapulín Colorado, the focus is on the real man behind them. The book also served as the foundation for Gómez Fernandez and his sister Paulina to write the episodes' screenplays. The two are also producers and were involved in every decision about the project. For Roberto Gómez Fernandez, the challenge was for the series not to become a solemn, saintly tribute to the larger-than-life figure their father was. 'I had to remember that I wasn't thinking about my dad, but about the character of Roberto Gómez Bolaños,' he says. 'They weren't real-life people because you have to transform them into characters, and sometimes you have to pull some strings to make the dramatic dynamics more effective.' And yet, despite having fictionalized aspects, Gómez Fernandez believes that the series offers truthfulness about his father's essence as a person. 'I think we achieved it, but along the way, we had to undress the character's successes and failures, many of which had consequences in his life,' Gómez Fernandez says. 'Some things turned out alright for him, but others went wrong, and he also hurt people.' It's not lost on Cruz Guerrero that someone like him, who didn't previously revere Chespirito's genius, wound up taking on the task of bringing his story to the screen. 'In moments of fear, insecurity and doubt, I would ask myself, 'Oh, man, how did I end up here?' And then it was all resolved with laughter because in front of me I would read the title of the show, 'Not Really on Purpose,'' he says with a knowing smile. After more than two decades mostly appearing in supporting roles, Cruz Guerrero is basking in what's undoubtedly the most important credit of his career so far. 'I'm especially grateful to the family, who chose me to play this beloved character, who is obviously part of their personal story,' Cruz Guerrero says. 'I live this moment with great gratitude, so thank you to Roberto Gómez Bolaños.'
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
How Canelo Alvarez became ‘the face of boxing'
Canelo Alvarez is the prize draw this weekend when the boxing world turns its attention to Saudi Arabia tonight, Saturday, May 3. The Mexican will hope to re-unify all the belts at super middleweight by defeating the Cuban William Scull. Canelo enters the bout with the WBA, WBO, and WBC titles, whilst Scull currently holds the IBF super middleweight strap. Victory will see Canelo become undisputed at 168 pounds for a second time, further cementing his position as the face of boxing. Such a label is both hard-earned and hard to prove, but Canelo has backed up his claim over the years. Domestic stardom served as a platform to build on globally Mexican boxing fans are some of the most passionate in the world, proudly cheering on their fighters both home and abroad. However, since Canelo Alvarez proved himself in his home country, no other fighter has come close to his popularity. Making his professional debut at 15, Canelo was quickly backed by Mexican television company Televisa, garnering both attention and jealousy. Established as a household name in Mexico, Alvarez joined Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions five years into his professional career. That coincided with Canelo's first push for a world title, going on to win the WBC super welterweight belt in 2011. Golden Boy and Canelo managed to convert the hype and momentum earned in Mexico into big crowds in America, breaking Alvarez into a new market. Canelo has not forgotten his Mexican roots, making it a tradition to fight on the weekend closest to Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day in September. This weekend is no different, and whilst Canelo will be fighting outside of North America for the first time, plenty will be watching back home. Impressive CV earned by willingness to fight big names In the modern era, boxers have become more and more concerned about preserving their unbeaten records, with the desire to remain undefeated seeing mouthwatering fights unable to be made. Whether you call it being selective or claiming that a fighter is ducking an opponent, neither truly applies to Canelo. At 23 years of age, Canelo was willing to face undefeated veteran Floyd Mayweather, who entered the bout with a perfect record of 44 wins. The bout was contested at a catchweight of 153 pounds, further hindering underdog Canelo. Aside from his lack of fear in facing a vastly more experienced opponent, Canelo also put his WBC super-welterweight title on the line. The expected happened, with Mayweather outclassing his younger opponent in a majority decision win. Not only was the Mexican shown a clinical boxing display, he also saw firsthand how a boxer can guide his own career commercially. As evidenced by his above quotes, Canelo combined his ability in the ring with solid promotion, building himself as both a boxer and a 'brand'. His commercial pull has made him a very wealthy man, with Forbes listing the Mexican as the 14th highest-paid athlete of 2024. In recent years Canelo has moved to secure a bigger slice of purses for his fight; with his promotion company, the eponymous Canelo Promotions, replacing more established promoters in his negotiations for bouts. That is directly out of the Mayweather playbook, with Floyd Mayweather forming his own self-titled promotion company, Mayweather Promotions, in 2007. But even after that experience, Canelo was keen to get back in the ring with the big dogs of the boxing world. It is difficult to face every contender, but Canelo's willingness to take on the bigger names earlier on his career has arguably given the Mexican free reign to decide who he fights. There was some thought that Canelo had avoided David Benavidez before the American's move up to light heavyweight. But Canelo did fight Genady Golovkin, Dmitry Bivol, Callum Smith, and Caleb Plant during that time. Shortly after vacating the IBF belt last year to set up a fight with Edgar Berlanga, Canelo spoke to saying: 'When you hit a certain level, there are stars and there are superstars – they make the championship, the championship does not make them. So, it is way different. I come and I do my career, I fight with [ Miguel ] Cotto with a clause, I fight with [ Floyd ] Mayweather with a clause, I fight with everybody to build the name of Canelo Alvarez." He added: "Right now, I can do what I want. I don't want to do whatever they want, I want to do whatever I want. In the position I am in, I can do whatever I want, because I deserve it because of all I have done. They have said 'you don't want to fight Golovkin' – I fought him. Lara?' – I fought [Erislandy ] Lara, Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, Caleb Plant, [ Austin ] Trout, Mayweather, Cotto, [ Dmitry ] Bivol, everything. I did everything." "Now," he says, "I can do whatever I want.'
