Carmen Aristegui – Mexican Journalist

At the age of 52-years-old, the Mexican Journalist Carmen Aristegui shows no signs of slowing down. She is considered “one of the most influential Mexican journalists in history,” who has been able to put some very powerful people on the spot. She doesn’t let fear get in the way when it comes to her job and insists on both respecting it while fighting against it.

As a moderate opinion leader in Mexico, she is well-known for her critical investigation of those in power and of the Mexican government. Currently, she is an anchor on CNN en Espanol, for the news program Aristegui. She also writes for the opinion section for the periodical Reforma on a regular basis. Aristegui was named by BBC as one of the 100 most influential women in 2016.

Aristegui was born and raised in Mexico City to a father who was a refugee of the Spanish Civil War. She has stated that is was due to her father's background that she wanted to pursue a life in journalism. Aristegui went to the National Autonomous University of Mexico and obtained a degree in Communication Sciences.

The feminine name Carmen is the Medieval Spanish version of Carmel, which was influenced by the Latin word carmen that means “song”. The name Carmel is taken from Virgin Mary’s title – Our Lady of Carmel. The name is a version of Karmel that means “garden” in Hebrew. It is also a mountain in Israel that is mentioned in the Old Testament.