LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: When it comes to social media, ‘The View’ co-hosts Sunny Hostin, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro make their presence felt a lot more than Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, and Sara Haines. This is applicable to both happy and sad news and moments. Navarro has been the bearer of good news lately, but recently, she had a rather sad moment to share with her fans. She recently paid tribute to her late friend Carlos Alberto Montaner. Navarro took to Instagram to share the tragic loss of her friend, who was a prolific writer.
Montaner has been an important pillar of the Latin American community, and his loss has hit Navarro close to home. While she took her time to grieve a friend’s death, she also made it a point to educate those around her about him. Navarro has always used her social media platform for the best to inform people in addition to sharing glimpses of her personal life.
Who was Carlos Alberto Montaner?
As aforementioned, Montaner was a pillar of the Latin American community, who died on June 30, 2023. Montaner was a beloved Cuban writer who lived a full life until the age of 80, but his struggles through life don’t go unnoticed. In the most poetic way, Montaner died in Madrid, Spain, the city that welcomed him and his wife after they moved away from their home in the '70s. Montaner was also a political commentator and was once imprisoned by the Cuban government after the Cuban Revolution. He died through assisted suicide as mentioned by Navarro, who also highlighted more of his struggles in her Instagram post.
‘Please allow me to tell you about my friend’
Navarro isn’t always one for long captions, but she took her time with her tribute about Montaner, making sure she paid her final respects to the friend and author. In her post, Navarro began, "One of Latin America’s most respected intellectuals, writers and thought-leaders has died. Please allow me to tell you about my friend, Carlos Alberto.”
She highlighted some of his struggles and wrote, “When he was 17, he was jailed by Castro for being against that cruel regime. He managed to escape and continued denouncing dictatorships and abuses of power his entire life. It didn’t matter to him if it was right-wing or left-wing, Democrat or Republican, he fought against those who tread on democracy.”
"Recently, he spoke against Trump. Some in the Cuban American community attacked him for it. Carlos didn’t give a shit. He called them as he saw them. For him it was about being true to his principles and convictions, not about public approval. If there was an atrocity going on in the world, in all likelihood, Carlos was raising awareness and fighting against it," the host continued, before adding, "A few years ago, must have been 2019 or so, I was on a @cnnee panel with him. I noticed something was off. His voice was weaker and shaky. I asked him about it. He told me he’d been diagnosed with a Parkinson’s-like disease. I told him I had just read dancing was a very good therapy. We both looked at eachother, and he said, “well, then, I’m f**ked”, and we burst out laughing. Carlos, was one of those rare Cubans with no rhythm. Though he did have that Caribbean wit and sense of humor. He was brilliant but humble. Serious but wickedly funny."
Talking about his death, Navarro continued, "His illness was degenerative and had gotten progressively worse. Though it had become difficult, he continued writing until last month, when he said goodbye in what was his last column. I know the thought of losing his physical independence and mental faculties was just horrible for him. Yesterday, I read he died through assisted suicide, in Spain where it is legal. His life-long love and his children and grandchildren surrounded him as he peacefully took his last breath. Consistent until the end. He died as he lived- with dignity and on his own terms. In that last column, he ended with the words: “hice lo que pude”, I did what I could. You did a lot of good, my friend. Rest in peace."
She ended her post by sending love to Montaner’s friends and family and said, “Sending my love to Linda, @gina.montaner, @paoramos, and his entire family and extended family of friends and readers.💔.”
