The journalist Soledad Gallego-Díaz has died in Madrid at the age of 75, as reported this Tuesday by various media outlets and confirmed by El País, the newspaper where she developed a large part of her professional career.
Gallego-Díaz was one of the most recognized figures in Spanish journalism in recent decades. Her career was closely linked to El País, a newspaper to which she joined shortly after its founding and of which she became director between 2018 and 2020, becoming the first woman to hold that position.
In addition to his work in Spain, he worked for years as an international correspondent and participated in coverage of some of the main political and social events of recent decades, both inside and outside the country.
A career linked to El País and the Transition
Born in Madrid in 1950, Soledad Gallego-Díaz began her journalistic career at the Pyresa agency. According to El País, she was fired in 1975 after participating in a journalists' strike during the final months of Francoism.
Shortly after, he joined El País, the outlet where he developed practically his entire professional career. During the Transition, he participated, along with other journalists, in the publication of the draft of the 1978 Constitution, one of the most relevant exclusives of that political stage.
Throughout his career, he held different responsibilities within the newspaper and worked as a correspondent in cities such as London, Paris, Brussels, New York, and Buenos Aires.
His work was especially focused on international information, politics, and human rights. He also maintained for years a constant activity as an analyst and columnist, in addition to collaborating in various radio spaces.
First woman at the helm of the newspaper
In 2018 she was named director of El País. Her arrival at the direction had broad support from the newsroom, as the newspaper itself reported at the time.
During his time at the helm of the newspaper, he promoted different lines of journalistic investigation and reinforced the coverage of issues related to civil rights and abuses within the Catholic Church, among other topics.
After leaving the direction in 2020, she continued to be linked to journalism through opinion articles, collaborations, and participation in public debates related to the profession and current political affairs.
In recent weeks he had received the Journalistic Ethics Award from the Foundation of the Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (FAPE), a recognition of his entire professional career.
Reactions after the death became known
The death of Soledad Gallego-Díaz has provoked reactions in media outlets and among journalism professionals, who have highlighted her career and her influence within contemporary Spanish press.
El País has defined her as “the total journalist” in the obituary published after her death was announced. Other national media have also highlighted her role as a benchmark for political and international journalism in Spain.