Family and friends of the journalist and communicator Carlos Batista Matos They gathered since Tuesday afternoon at the Blandino funeral home, Abraham Lincoln, to pay him the corresponding funeral honors.
An atmosphere marked by sadness and the crying of his relatives surrounds Rooms A and B, where the lifeless body of the writer also lies, who died last Monday in his residence in the El Vergel sector while he was sleeping. Watching his body, next to the coffin, surrounded by wreaths of white flowers, his family, friends and relatives settled down.
Batista Matoswho died at 75 years of age, was the father of five children: Carlos Batista Jr. Karla, Karina, Belkis Merie and Emely Batista.
His ex-wife Carolina Valenzuela, mother of his daughters Karla and Emely (the latter was the one who found him dead at noon on Monday), she cried with regret, and although they had not been a couple for years, she was always in charge of taking care of the journalist’s health.
His friend César de los Santos did the same, who had planned to take him to Miami in the coming days to be treated for his health problems. Batista Matos suffered from diabetes and had a pacemaker in his heart.
The merengue singer also arrived at the funeral home crying and very affected. Belkys Concepciónwith whom he was married and with whom he fathered Belkys Merie.
“Carlos left a great legacy, he left me my greatest gift, which is my daughter and he will continue to live through her,” Belkys told reporters at the funeral home.
Nelly Batista, one of the sisters of the deceased journalist, also arrived at the funeral home wrapped in tears.
His inseparable assistant and friend Fausto Parra was seen at the scene, as was the businessman César de los Santos, another of his great friends, who also looked very sad.
Marivell Contreras, Zoila Puello, Carlos de los Santos and Reyes Guzmán attended to say goodbye to Carlos Batista at the Blandino funeral home.
Present in the mortuary were the showman Julio Sabalacomedians Raymond Pozo, Miguel Cespedes and Félix Peña; the lawyer Julio Cury; the communicator Raulito Grisanty; the journalists Zoila PuelloReyes Guzmán, Ruddy González, Juan Carlos Albelo, Eury Cabral, José Tejada Gómez, José Antonio Aybar, Jenny PolancoHéctor Gómez, Dania Goris and Marivell Contreras.
The president of the Association of Art Chroniclers (Acroart), Marivell Contreras, commented that her colleague leaves an “indelible legacy” and a career marked by extraordinary abilities that turned each of her works into true lessons in journalistic practice.
For Raymond Pozo this Tuesday was not the same: “Today, when we went to record the program we did not have the same spirit because not finding it (in the Color Visión studios) was painful for us.”
At the funeral home they also said present Angel Laureanogeneral director of Color Vision; Marino Guzmán, Eriko Zapata, Brenda Sánchez, Idelsa Nùñez, Sharmin Diaz and Chino Méndez.
“Carlos was my mentor,” said Zoila Puello, highlighting that her colleague and friend showed her the path she should follow in journalism and that when he died he left a mark of good. journalistic exercise.
The communicator and deputy Selinee Mendez highlighted the role played on television by “The Most Expensive Man” and that it is a “responsibility of each of us to help ensure that this type of television does not disappear in our country,” referring to the unique style imposed by Batista, known as “The Most Expensive Man.”
Merengueros as Sergio Vargas, Eddy HerreraRafa Rosario and The Tasting They made an appearance. “El Negrito de Villa” defined him as an “irreplaceable” figure in the world of journalism and entertainment, in addition to his contributions to merengue and his role in chronicling art in the 20th century through the newspaper Última Hora.
He also highlighted the valuable contributions of Carlos Batista to national cultureespecially merengue, remembering its role as chronicler in the 1980s through the “Scenario” column, where he followed the development of numerous artists.
“There are people who are irreplaceable, tell me who can occupy the chair.” Yaqui Núñezthe chair Freddy Beras Goicothat of Corporán, there are members of our community, of the entertainment industry, like in this case, Carlos Batista, the most expensive, who are irreplaceable, there remains the legacy, the videos remain,” said Sergio.
In other statements, the merengue player added: “My only aspiration is that Carlos has reconciled with God before his departure.”
Visibly affected, Rafa Rosario He described him as a great friend and remembered the trips and moments they shared.
“I can only remember him as a great friend that I loved very much, we traveled a lot, we enjoyed a lot, Carlos and I were true friends,” said the leader of Los Hermanos Rosario.
THE CHARACTER
Friends and colleagues Batista Matoshighlighted his qualities and some remembered how his character of the “most beautiful man” and the “most expensive man” was only a resource with which he constantly joked about his tastes for ties, expensive clothes and his luxurious trips around the world.
However, behind that character his mastery of the entertainment journalisman area in which he left numerous journalistic writings in the defunct newspaper Última Hora, as well as in his books “History and evolution of merengue” and “Bachata: history and evolution.”
He also achieved a stellar space on television, first alongside Magda Florencio in “Day by day”, which was broadcast between 1988 and 1994 on Rahintel (channel 7), and then on the legendary program “Con los famouses”, which began broadcasting in 1998 on Color Visión (channel 9).
A native of Vicente Noble, in the Barahona province, he began his career in communication in El Caribe and then in Última Hora, working as editor of the entertainment section, of the magazine “La Tarde Alegre” and of his column “Escenario”, which generated respect in Dominican society.
The journalist was a councilor of the National District for the Party of the Dominican Revolution (PRD) during the period 2010-2016. In addition, he served as an ambassador assigned to the Foreign Ministry in 2005, a role from which he also projected Dominican culture on international stages.
The body of Batista Matos will remain exposed at the Blandino Funeral Home this Wednesday from 10:00 in the morning to 10:00 at night. On Thursday the 16th, at 9:30 in the morning the body mass will be held, at 10:30 it will be moved to the National District City Hall, at 11:30 to the Boulevard of the Stars, on Winston Churchill Avenue, and at 1:00 there will be the funeral at the Puerta del Cielo Cemetery.
