Agustín Acosta's funeral will be held this Tuesday in Haría, his hometown

Agustín Acosta, dean journalist of Lanzarote, dies

[The Cabildo decrees an official day of mourning->26200] [The Haría City Council declares three days of mourning->26196]

March 31 2009 (01:57 WEST)
Agustín Acosta, Lanzarote's leading journalist, dies
Agustín Acosta, Lanzarote's leading journalist, dies

Agustín Acosta Cruz, dean of the island press of Lanzarote, passed away in the early hours of this Monday at his home in Puerto del Carmen, in Tías, presumably due to a heart attack. This Tuesday, the funeral for his soul will be held in the parish of Haría, at 1:00 p.m., where the town that saw him born will give him his last goodbye.

Agustín Acosta, born in Haría in 1937, began his journalistic career with Guillermo Topham and the Antena weekly in the 1950s, where he wrote sports chronicles. He collaborated in that era with many publications of provincial scope, such as El Eco de Canarias or La Hoja del Lunes and also in La Provincia.

Years later, in the 70s he joined Radio Lanzarote and became the best-known voice on the island. Among his extensive journalistic career, he founded the newspaper La Voz de Lanzarote and Lanzarote Televisión, and more recently the newspaper Crónicas de Lanzarote, Canal L, Agustín Acosta Radio and, in the last month, the free weekly Pronósticos. He also collaborated with several media outlets in the Archipelago, both radio and television.

Acosta was one of the journalists with the greatest projection both within the island and in the Canary Islands. He also became president of the Island Council for a few months in the 70s, between April 23, 1977 and October 10, 1978.

Commotion in Lanzarote

The news has shocked a large part of Lanzarote society, which has woken up surprised by the death of Agustín Acosta. The Haría City Council has been the first to decree three days of mourning for the death of its most recognized neighbor. The Cabildo, an institution of which Acosta was president, has also declared mourning and the island flag will fly at half-staff as a posthumous tribute to the journalist. The rest of the political parties have joined the expressions of condolence throughout the day through various statements.

Likewise, personalities from the world of politics have wanted to highlight the passion that Acosta felt for information and the work he did in defense of Lanzarote, but also the relationship that united them with the deceased, and the stories that they will always keep in their retinas. "He will always remain as one of the most important men in the journalistic world of the island", said the president of the Canarian Coalition in Lanzarote and mayor of Tinajo, Jesús Machín, who indicated that he loses "a great friend".

Machín highlighted the "courage that Agustín had when telling things, in a very clear way", and recalled that his first meeting with the dean journalist of Lanzarote was in the 80s. From that moment until his death, Machín and Acosta have maintained a "pleasant" friendship.

The mayor of Haría and also a member of CC, José Torres Stinga, does not remember Lanzarote without Agustín Acosta. "He broadcast the UD Lanzarote matches when I was a player. He always told me that he helped me score goals through the airwaves, because we were both from Haría," he said. "I remember that Agustín rubbed shoulders on several occasions with the journalist José María García, when he was the number one journalist in Spain and came to Lanzarote on a trip," said Torres Stinga, who was practically a neighbor of the deceased.

Segundo Rodríguez, a historical member of the PSOE in Lanzarote, also wanted to join the expressions of affection in the face of the tragic news. He was a friend of Acosta since childhood and both were united by a "great friendship" for decades. "He was a consistent man with his way of being, thinking and acting. He lived as he liked to live," he said. Likewise, he praised his work as a journalist "with important preparation", a question that, according to him, surprised many people given his age.

From the PP in Tías, José Francisco Hernández only has words of gratitude towards Acosta since, according to him, he always treated him "with affection". Their relationship began in 1999, when Hernández was appointed popular spokesman in the aforementioned City Council. "And from that day until yesterday," said the politician, while highlighting that "Acosta has been everything for Lanzarote." "Many generations have listened to him. We must all pay him a heartfelt tribute."

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