July 29, 2024 • 28 mins
Hola, hola! Hello, my beautiful people! I’m really excited about today’s episode because I get to sit down with someone I admire very much, Jorge Ramos. He’s been reporting for Univision for decades and has interviewed some of the most powerful people in the world. But today, we learn about Jorge Ramos, the man behind the journalist, and we learn more about his new book, “Así Veo Las Cosas: Lo Que Nunca Te Conté.”
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello everyone, and welcome to this episode of Cheeky's and Chill.
I hope you all are having a wonderful and very
productive day. Today's a very special day, very special episode,
you guys, because I have a very special person that
is going to be on the Pot today. His name
is Horg Ramos, and if you don't know who he is,
you guys, go watch univision. He is a journalist, very
(00:26):
talented journalist, and an author. He has a new book
called a sie veo Lascosa, so go check it out,
you guys. And I'm excited to interview him because he's
always the one interviewing other people, people like Fidor Gastro,
Donald Trump, Ugo Chaves and so many more, you guys.
So I'm excited to introduce mister Ramos. Everyone, round of applause, please, Jorge,
(00:50):
thank you so much for being on. I am so honored,
you guys. You have no idea. This is royalty, you guys.
I am a huge.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Is spoken in the past and we spend a couple
of hours getting to know each other. It was it
was a great interview, so of course it is my honor.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So you're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to
be in honeymoon, not here.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I know, right, that's what they told me. I know,
you know what, Thank goodness, I have a lot of
work right now. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to
work and then we're going to take our honeymoon at
the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That's great. Bad, But I think this is the best example,
the perfect example on what happens behind the cameras. No
people think that that you have and that we have
such a privileged life, and we do in many many ways.
But on the other hand, I think we work hard
to have what we have.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Absolutely to say, you know what, we have to sometimes
put certain things first or work first, and you know,
pleasure later. And I'm okay with it because I'm like,
you know what, we have work, I should be grateful
and that's it. So the good thing is him and
I my husband. Now, oh my god, that's so weird
to say that my husband, now that we're on the
same page. But yes, you did. You did come actually
(02:02):
to my home, and I'm going to tell you guys
here on the podcast. I don't I decided when I
moved to this home, I wasn't going to let certain.
I just wanted to protect my home a little bit more.
But when they told me that Ramos wanted to interview me,
I said absolutely, he saw my closet, he was here.
I was so happy. Yes, it was a beautiful interview.
So so yes, we have spoken before, and I think
(02:23):
that's when you know, I've seen you on television and
I know a lot about you and I admire what
you do, but then getting to know you as as
a human being, it was so wonderful. So that's why.
And you know I wanted to talk to you because
I know you have a new book out. You said,
Ya'm a asciveo lascosas, and I want to start off
with that. I want to before we get into like
other little details. I know you're short on time, tell
(02:44):
me more about the book.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, you know, I've been doing the newscasts for more
than thirty years and not to share on every sion
and I have the Sunday Morning political show and doing
other things Albo Personnel, which we spent more than a
hour're talking. But what happens is that when I'm doing
the news, or when I'm covering a war, or when
(03:06):
I'm covering a hurricane or an accident. I'm not supposed
to cry, and I'm not supposed just to give my opinion,
but just report the news. I mean, report the news,
report reality as it is, not as I wish it
would be. But then once everything's done, and then you
go home or you go to the hotel, there's so
(03:26):
many things that you haven't said how you felt. And
then that's what writing is for me. Every week. I've
been writing a column every week for more than thirty years,
and in those columns, I get to tell my part
what I see, how I feel. For instance, I remember
that when I was covering the war in Afghanistan, I
(03:49):
did something incredibly stupid. I asked for vacations and I
went all the way to Pakistan and then crossed the
border to Afghanistan. I had to go to where Osama
bin Laden was supposed to be hiding in the mountains
of Toraborda. And I was in a car with three
members of a gorilla that were protecting the area, and
one of them, I think was seventeen or nineteen year old,
(04:10):
he pointed his gun at me and he said, I
am a follower of Osama. I thought I was going
to die. Honestly, I had no idea what to do,
so I remember having a few one dollar bills in
my pocket. I gave him the money and I told him,
if you take care of me, I'll take care of you.
He understood what I meant, and then when we arrived
(04:31):
at the hotel, he just pushed me with his gun,
with his rifle as a matter of fact, and then
he let me go. So my life at that point
was worth only fifteen dollars. And that's the kind of
stories that I'm telling here in the book. Is not
something that I was able to tell the people. Is
not something that I reported on TV, because it was
not my role just to say, oh, I was about
(04:51):
to die. Now. The important story was what the war
in Afghanistan and that's it. But on the other hand,
we have very personal stories to tell. I'm sure you
have your stories to tell right before and after the concerts.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah. From what I know about you, you're very a
very private person with your private life. And it's like, yeah,
you know, I mean Muscle Mentos. You know what it
is with me is I don't know, but you know,
this is not about me, this is about you. But
but you know what I can respect that. I sometimes
wish I was a little bit more private. But what
(05:24):
I love about this book in particular, is that people
are going to get to know you, you know, the person
behind you know, the person that we see on television,
which is what I got the honor of meeting you
on a different level. And it just really just makes
you feel closer to the person, I guess, and I
think that that's what I love about this book, and
I'm glad you wrote it. I definitely want to read
(05:46):
it because I'm that type of person. I want to
know what are they really like? What is his favorite color?
What side of the bed does he sleep on? What's
his favorite food? You know what I mean, Just things
like that, you know. But I think it's amazing, and
I congratulate you for this for this book. How many
books have you written?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
This is number fourteen? I think, yeah, but no, but
it's like music for you, it is writing for me.
It's something that I have to do. If I don't
do it, I would explode internally. I need to do
something just to make sure that I can relieve the
stress and make sure that I have a completely mentally
(06:25):
healthy life. That's important and that's what writing is for me.
I'm sure that's what music is for you.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
It's like an outlet. I always say music is like
a therapy. So I think writing for you is like,
this is my form of releasing.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Just imagine what life would be for you, life without music,
for instance.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Oh yeah, oh no.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
It's impossible. It's simply impossible.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So it is.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You know, one of the stories that I tell in
the book, when my father died, I was about twenty
years ago. I was about to go on there to
do the newscast, and then I remember my mom calling
me and telling me, you know, your dad couldn't make it.
And you know what I did is something incredibly stupid.
I told the news director, I'm fine, I'm fine, I
(07:11):
can do the newscast. Let me do it. Fortunately Chikis
she said, no, you're not going to do that. You
go home, buy the ticket, go to Mexico City. But
I wanted to do the news. I just I just
didn't want to accept reality. And you know, sometimes when
we go through things like this, we reacting in very
(07:32):
rational ways. I guess, without writing, without being able to
express my feelings in a book, in this case, on
a screen in a computer, it would be very difficult
for me to do my job.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Yeah, no, absolutely. And going to that, I was going
to ask you, does it feel awkward for you being
interviewed because you're so used to interviewing people. Does it
feel does it feel different?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
You know? It is difficult now because here's the power shifting.
When I was when I was asking the questions a
few months ago, when I when I met you, I
was in control. Right, I'm the one asking the questions,
and somehow I can direct the conversation towards whatever I'm
interested in. In this case, it's you. You're in control.
(08:21):
And something something funny happened to me before the interview.
I was doing my homework, just checking the latest social
media on you and the video and everything, and I
was thinking the opposite way. I was thinking, what am
I going to ask? Cheekies? And then I realized, no, no, no,
you cannot ask him about the ask her about the wedding,
or ask her about like Astralia. No, no, no, you
(08:45):
have to behave and then answer the questions. Yes, it's
a matter of power. Somehow asking the question puts you
in a position of power. There's an Italian writer Rina Falacci.
She died a few years ago, and she she used
to say that sometimes the interviews become war, and sometimes
(09:06):
the interviewer wins, and sometimes the interviewee wins. And I'm
sure it happens to you all the time. I'm sure
you have. You have had pretty aggressive interviews. And then
you come out and you say, I did it. I
answer exactly what I wanted, and I want that interview,
and sometimes you exactly and sometimes it's the opposite. Sometimes
(09:26):
you feel vulnerable and then you say, can I cannot
be haste to parget exactly. So in every interview it happens.
There are questions that that you do not ask, and
sometimes when you are on the other side, there are
answers that you go home and say, I wish I
could have said that.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Absolutely happens to me a lot. Actually it does. It does.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Those who who win the interviews with me, they're the
ones who have a message, and it doesn't matter what
you do. They a message and they have a complete
control of their own narrative. In other words, just what
you did with me, you told me your story, and
you were in complete control of your narrative. You knew
exactly what you wanted to say, you had a message
(10:13):
and it came across. But if you were not prepared
with that message, with that story, your own personal story,
that's the moment when the interviews go wrong.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I agree, And that's what changed for me if you
would have asked me this, I don't know ten years ago.
In the interviews, I felt very vulnerable. I felt like,
oh my gosh, there, very scared. And until I found
my purpose and I realized, Okay, I have control. I
know what I'm talking about, I know what I want
to say, I know what I want to share, I
know what I don't want to share. It changed completely
(10:45):
for me. And that just happened recently. I think maybe
a little bit before you interviewed me, where this new
found I was Joe, take it or leave it, and
it just completely changed for me.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
And that's so important. Yeah, you have to own your
own story, yes you. I mean, I've seen stories go
completely wrong when when the artists or the writer, or
the journalists or the politician allows others to dictate their story.
But when you own your own story, even if it's difficult,
(11:18):
because we all have vulnerabilities and we all have weaknesses,
and even if it's difficult, but you own your own story,
and when you're in control, then that's a completely different story.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
No, but I did want to ask you, how did
you get into this field? What is it? Is it
something since you were young? Is it like? When did
this like love or passion grow in you.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
I grew up in a house with tres armanos in Normana,
and many times it was very difficult. I remember my
friends going on vacation and we stayed home most of
the time. And I don't think chick is that. I
that I traveled on a plane until I was probably
eleven or twelve, So my world was incredibly limited. And
(12:07):
I remember I'm sixty six right now. So I grew
up in a Mexico that was not a democracy. It
was really authoritarian, very repressive, and I wanted to be
a journalist, and I just didn't want to be a
sensor journalist in Mexico. I remember I had a small car,
Lumbo Chito, a Volkswagen, and I sold it for just
(12:29):
a few hundred dollars, and with that money, I came
to the United States as a student. Fortunately, as a student,
I studied for about a year and then I started
working with Univision in Los Angeles, Canalter in the Couadron
in Los Angeles. And then when I realized that as
a journalist, I didn't have the opportunity like many actors
(12:50):
and actresses have to live many lives through your roles.
But I was able as a journalist to live one
very intense life ass a journalist. And that's when I
loved it. When I realized that I could get to
know the people that that changed the world and being
the cases where history is being made. Gabriel Garcia Marquez
the ciak pus Mundo, and I think he was absolutely right,
(13:15):
because I have been able for the last four years
just to be whatever history is being made and getting
to know people that you might like or not, but
that are actually making history. So I got to know
what Chavis in Venezuela and Nicolas Maduro. I was arrested
in the Palace in Venezuela just for asking questions. I
(13:36):
can remember I confronted Donald Trump in a few years
ago when he said that Mexican immigrants were criminals and rapists,
and I wanted to tell him to his face that
he was lying, that that that is not true, that
I'm a Mexican immigrant and that we're not like that.
So it happened with him, and I talked to Joe
Biden and to other presidents. You don't have to like them,
(13:56):
but you get to know them. And that's that's why
i've journalism.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Yeah no, and you're great, absolutely amazing at it, because
that's one of the things that I admire, that you
speak your truth, you speak your mind, you speak with facts.
And Keevisto and I'm just like, dude, he has and
I'm not going to say it because it's but you
(14:21):
you know what I'm talking about. He has some.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
You know, you said something about facts. And nowadays in
social media, it's so easy just to get lost because
you use your phone and then you have no idea
if what you're reading is the truth or not. And
we as journalists, I think we have our strength, our
power comes from from facts. And I remember, I tell
(14:46):
the story in the book, but I went to five Manianetas.
Now Las Manianetas in Mexico City are the press conferences
by by the president and there is Manuel Pez and
they call it Las Maniana simply because he does it
that seven in the morning. Just imagine waking up every
day for five years just to have a press conference.
(15:06):
And I remember going to La Maa Nanetta once with
the President of Mexico and telling him that his government
was incredibly violent. More than one hundred and seventy thousand
people have been killed for the last five years. And
I was telling him, these are the facts. Said no, no, no,
you can go to rosatos. I have other facts. Said no,
mister president, you cannot have other facts. These facts I
(15:26):
got them from your own government and stear. He was
saying no, no, no, I have other facts and said no,
that is not possible. No, no, senor, no, it positively.
And then he got famous for using that trade day
ten go rosatos, which is beautiful because when somebody tells
you this is the truth and you said no, no, you
can go rosatos. There's really nothing.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah, and we'll talking about that. Does in facts. I
have a question, a little bit of a personal question,
and it is something that you've talked about, but I
kind of want to know a little bit what exactly
does agnostic mean? Because I know what atheists mean, but
what is agnostic.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I'm glad that you asked me about that. I grew
up in a Catholic family in a Catholic country, and
I went to Catholic school when I was very young,
elevel for elementary school and for middle school. But then
the priests in this school they were really abusive with us,
physically abusive. They would hit us in the hands, they
(16:27):
would hit us in the body, and they would instill
this fear of hell constantly. I mean, if we were
to sin or lie or misbehave, they would they would
tell us, kids, children, You're going to go to hell.
So I grew up with this really horrible idea about
(16:49):
religion and what religion meant, okay, And so what happened
is that since I was very very young, I was
very dissillusioned with official legion and I lost my faith.
I lost my faith. To you, I'm sure you believe
that when you die, you might go to heaven and
meet again all the people that that you lost and
(17:09):
that we lost. But I don't have that confidence. I
don't have that trust that it is going to happen.
So I'm not atheist. In other words, I cannot say
that God doesn't exist. But I am agnostic, which means
that I don't know. Okay, It is simply the lack
of knowledge, and I, you know, I it would be
(17:34):
beautiful for me to believe that that something is going
to happen after I die, and that I'm going to
meet my brother that I lost about a year ago,
and my dad in Mihatalola, in my peral soonset, and
that life is going to be eternal and beautiful. But
I don't have that trust. I don't I don't have
that faith. What do you believe when you die? What happens?
Speaker 1 (17:57):
I have a similar story to you. I respect religions,
but for me, organized religion isn't my cup of tea.
It's not for me because I was raised in a
very Christian home and went to church Wednesday's, Fridays and Sundays.
So I was in church a lot and a lot
of things happen in that church can may and I
(18:17):
was just very like the sea, and it just changed
for me. But I am I do believe in a
higher power. I believe in there's something bigger and greater
than I am, so I bow to it, and I
just I don't know what it is. I don't know
if it's a female energy or male energy. I just
know it's something more. So I consider myself a woman
of faith. Mass is spiritual, so the leon and you know,
(18:39):
I get that, but you know, I just I wanted
to ask because I really did not know.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
That's beautiful to have faith. I wish I could have
your faith. I mean, I honestly wish I could wake
up and believe that that things happen for a reason,
that there's a superior power and that he or she
is directing our lives in certain ways, that there's a destiny.
(19:04):
But I simply don't believe in that. So I have
to use my own, my own facts and be true
to myself. When I've been doing these readings all around
the country in Mexico, and I always say, thank you
so much for trying to save my soul. There's this
collective effort to save my soul, and I really appreciate it.
(19:27):
When when people pray for you, it's incredibly powerful and
I absolutely really really appreciate it. But I and I
respect that it doesn't happen.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, no, you're I think it's beautiful that you're honest,
that you are. This is who I am, and I
respect it, you know what I mean? And I get
it because you're a very man of facts, and it's
kind of like see it to believe it sort of thing.
Maybe I don't know verty while so that I think
you're wonderful.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Atheist and agnostic atheists, they can they can tell you know,
God does not exist. I'm not there. I cannot, I
cannot say that. I'm just still simply telling you I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So now that I'm married, misters in your second gratulations, grass, yes,
it's the you have been married for how long?
Speaker 2 (20:17):
How long I've been with with with Cheeky.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
With cheeky who I love? She's so beautiful, you guys,
if you don't know who cheeky, She's amazing and only
physically Dane Linda. Every time I've seen her, she's been
so sweet.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
So and it's funny because some people call her Cheeky's.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
No, yeah, and they call me cheeky sometimes.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Yeah. It's Maria chi Yallo. We've been together for fourteen
years now and some you know, something beautiful that that
happened is that when I met her, I already had
Nicolas who's twenty six, and Paula who's thirty seven already
and Cheeky has Marie Lena and Carolota, who's fourteen right now.
So what we did was this incredible expressment of bringing
(21:01):
together two different families, and that has been the most
beautiful experience of my whole life. And now because Carota
she's fourteen, I'm a swift tea of course, and we've been,
we've been twice to see Taylor Swift and she's coming
to She's coming to Miami in a couple of months,
(21:21):
so I'm going to be there dancing again.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
My gosh, I love it. I'm a swifty too, by
the way.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, I think she's just fantastic. I mean, I'm sure
you've seen concerts all over the world, but I think
she has the most powerful, most complete show in the
world at this moment. I mean, I've never seen I
haven't seen artists three hours and a half constantly without
without stopping.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I agree, she's She's a powerful force, for sure.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
But anyway, I was talking about Taylor Swift. But I'm
also UNTI I'm I'm a follower of Bad Bonnie and
I know, I love it. I know, and oh and
this is so cool, Cassar and all those simply because
Carlotta is also a follower of Bad Bonnie. I saw
(22:09):
Bad Bonnie in Mexico City. Have youI seka chickies.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
I have not know?
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Is incredible. Of course it's for soccer. But I saw
Bad Bonnie here in Miami too. But I saw him
in front of eighty thousand people in Stadiusteca, and it
is impressive what he does, how he controls the audience.
I mean, you know, you know what it is to
seem to to tens of thousands of people. I have
(22:37):
no idea how it feels, but when you see it,
it is incredible. It is amazing, and I'm amazed not
only with his talent, but with his possess. The silences
during his concerts. Taylor Swift is a continuous show. But
then Bad Bonnie stops. He puts a towel in his head,
(22:58):
and then I don't know what happens. He goes into meditation.
He truly stops the concert for two or three minutes,
and then he's back. Those silences. That yeah, those silences
are incredible. I saw him in Miami stopping breathing. I
do yoga, so I sort of know about the breeding process.
(23:22):
And he stops and he starts breathing as if he's
just making sure that he realizes what's happening all around him. Maybe,
and you do your your own thing too, I mean,
you have your own rituals when you get nervous. I mean, first,
(23:43):
do you get nervous when you when you sing too
from thousands.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Of people when it's not my audience on the SOOM festival.
I get more nervous. When it's it's my concert and
I know people paid to see me. I feel a
little bit more confident, but the nerves are always there.
It's when I've gone to like you know, in Mexico
and it's it's just in festival and I'm like, oh
my gosh, I get even more nervous. But then after
(24:08):
thirty seconds it goes away.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Oh interesting, Yeah, thirty seconds and goes away. And when
I do when I have important interviews with presidents, or
when you have to participate in a debate with political
candidates and so on, the first question is the difficult
for me. And once I get through the first question
that I practice a thousand times, then it feels a
little better.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Yeah. Absolutely, And I think nerves are good because we're
passionate about what we're doing. That's how I see it. Personally,
but you have. I love to know that you have
great taste, you're swifty and you and you're a bad buddy.
I love it. Now, what's your favorite color? I just
now that we're talking about these things.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
But do you have you always were blue?
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Okay, yes for some reason. I mean, if you see
my thank you so much for allowing me to get
into your closet. I saw mine is so boring because
it's just like the same way you're seeing me right now,
with a with a blue jacket and a dark blue
jacket and a blue shirt. That's that's how it is
(25:11):
and the beauty about it. I understand that Mark Sockerberg
in Black Obama and others they do the same. They don't.
They basically don't change how they dress. That way, you
can spend time thinking about other things. So yes, so
I like that you cannot do that, right.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
No, I love stuff, that's the thing as you as
you saw in my closet. I just love stuff in Gusta.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
But are you worried that if you repeat something that
you wore for one concert that people are gonna complain
or are gonna say, oh, she used it.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yes, a little bit. I'm not gonna lie. I do
feel sometimes that I I don't like to wear things
twice on television. I'll wear it in real life, but
for television, I'm like, okay, I'll just change it up
and then I donate. I love donating my clothes. But
I learned now I'm starting to rent stuff because I'm like,
that's just you know, so now I rent it. Yeah, yeah, yes,
(26:11):
I know. I have only a few more minutes with you,
but I just wanted to. I wanted to say thank you.
I know you're very busy man, and if you could
just give me a bit of advice on marriage, like
what is what's the secret? Just a little one, just
something small.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
No, I don't think i'm the one. I'm not the
right person for that. I'm not the right person for that.
But I really wish you you know something. As I
told you, I was doing my homework before doing the
interview with you, and I and I just love all
the It was so beautiful, happy for you. Yeah, and
(26:54):
what I love about it is that you did it
in your own terms, exactly as you wanted.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
That's so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I did get
a lot of love and it was just very peaceful
and very intimate and and I appreciate that. So check
your smile Monday.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Check check your smile. And in the pictures, oh yes,
I'm not sure if you have that. It's the perfect smile.
It's it's someone who is at peace and in love
and that's what you want, right.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yes, absolutely, thank you. That means a lot to me. Yes,
thank you so much, and I appreciate you guys. Everyone
that's listening, please go outespol a Liberal las Cosas. They'll
signormos you guys and anyways, you guys. I hope you
enjoyed this episode. I definitely did. It was nice to
(27:46):
hear from from you on a different level. And again,
thank you so much for being on my podcast. I
really appreciate it. You do you need advice on love, relationships,
health emails. I'm so excited to share with you that
(28:08):
my Cheeky's and Chill podcast will have an extra episode
drop each week. I'll be answering all your questions. Just
leave me a voice message Monday. All you have to
do is go to speak pipe dot com slash Cheekys
and Chill podcast and record your questions. I can't wait
to hear from you. This is a production of iHeartRadio
(28:33):
and the Microdura podcast Network. Follow us on Instagram at
Michael Doura Podcasts and follow me Cheeky's That's c h
i q u i s. For more podcasts from iHeart,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite podcast
Hello everyone, and welcome to this episode of Cheeky's and Chill.
I hope you all are having a wonderful and very
productive day. Today's a very special day, very special episode,
you guys, because I have a very special person that
is going to be on the Pot today. His name
is Horg Ramos, and if you don't know who he is,
you guys, go watch univision. He is a journalist, very
(00:26):
talented journalist, and an author. He has a new book
called a sie veo Lascosa, so go check it out,
you guys. And I'm excited to interview him because he's
always the one interviewing other people, people like Fidor Gastro,
Donald Trump, Ugo Chaves and so many more, you guys.
So I'm excited to introduce mister Ramos. Everyone, round of applause, please, Jorge,
(00:50):
thank you so much for being on. I am so honored,
you guys. You have no idea. This is royalty, you guys.
I am a huge.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Is spoken in the past and we spend a couple
of hours getting to know each other. It was it
was a great interview, so of course it is my honor.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
So you're not supposed to be here. You're supposed to
be in honeymoon, not here.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
I know, right, that's what they told me. I know,
you know what, Thank goodness, I have a lot of
work right now. So I'm like, okay, I'm going to
work and then we're going to take our honeymoon at
the end of the year.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
That's great. Bad, But I think this is the best example,
the perfect example on what happens behind the cameras. No
people think that that you have and that we have
such a privileged life, and we do in many many ways.
But on the other hand, I think we work hard
to have what we have.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Absolutely to say, you know what, we have to sometimes
put certain things first or work first, and you know,
pleasure later. And I'm okay with it because I'm like,
you know what, we have work, I should be grateful
and that's it. So the good thing is him and
I my husband. Now, oh my god, that's so weird
to say that my husband, now that we're on the
same page. But yes, you did. You did come actually
(02:02):
to my home, and I'm going to tell you guys
here on the podcast. I don't I decided when I
moved to this home, I wasn't going to let certain.
I just wanted to protect my home a little bit more.
But when they told me that Ramos wanted to interview me,
I said absolutely, he saw my closet, he was here.
I was so happy. Yes, it was a beautiful interview.
So so yes, we have spoken before, and I think
(02:23):
that's when you know, I've seen you on television and
I know a lot about you and I admire what
you do, but then getting to know you as as
a human being, it was so wonderful. So that's why.
And you know I wanted to talk to you because
I know you have a new book out. You said,
Ya'm a asciveo lascosas, and I want to start off
with that. I want to before we get into like
other little details. I know you're short on time, tell
(02:44):
me more about the book.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Well, you know, I've been doing the newscasts for more
than thirty years and not to share on every sion
and I have the Sunday Morning political show and doing
other things Albo Personnel, which we spent more than a
hour're talking. But what happens is that when I'm doing
the news, or when I'm covering a war, or when
(03:06):
I'm covering a hurricane or an accident. I'm not supposed
to cry, and I'm not supposed just to give my opinion,
but just report the news. I mean, report the news,
report reality as it is, not as I wish it
would be. But then once everything's done, and then you
go home or you go to the hotel, there's so
(03:26):
many things that you haven't said how you felt. And
then that's what writing is for me. Every week. I've
been writing a column every week for more than thirty years,
and in those columns, I get to tell my part
what I see, how I feel. For instance, I remember
that when I was covering the war in Afghanistan, I
(03:49):
did something incredibly stupid. I asked for vacations and I
went all the way to Pakistan and then crossed the
border to Afghanistan. I had to go to where Osama
bin Laden was supposed to be hiding in the mountains
of Toraborda. And I was in a car with three
members of a gorilla that were protecting the area, and
one of them, I think was seventeen or nineteen year old,
(04:10):
he pointed his gun at me and he said, I
am a follower of Osama. I thought I was going
to die. Honestly, I had no idea what to do,
so I remember having a few one dollar bills in
my pocket. I gave him the money and I told him,
if you take care of me, I'll take care of you.
He understood what I meant, and then when we arrived
(04:31):
at the hotel, he just pushed me with his gun,
with his rifle as a matter of fact, and then
he let me go. So my life at that point
was worth only fifteen dollars. And that's the kind of
stories that I'm telling here in the book. Is not
something that I was able to tell the people. Is
not something that I reported on TV, because it was
not my role just to say, oh, I was about
(04:51):
to die. Now. The important story was what the war
in Afghanistan and that's it. But on the other hand,
we have very personal stories to tell. I'm sure you
have your stories to tell right before and after the concerts.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Yeah. From what I know about you, you're very a
very private person with your private life. And it's like, yeah,
you know, I mean Muscle Mentos. You know what it
is with me is I don't know, but you know,
this is not about me, this is about you. But
but you know what I can respect that. I sometimes
wish I was a little bit more private. But what
(05:24):
I love about this book in particular, is that people
are going to get to know you, you know, the person
behind you know, the person that we see on television,
which is what I got the honor of meeting you
on a different level. And it just really just makes
you feel closer to the person, I guess, and I
think that that's what I love about this book, and
I'm glad you wrote it. I definitely want to read
(05:46):
it because I'm that type of person. I want to
know what are they really like? What is his favorite color?
What side of the bed does he sleep on? What's
his favorite food? You know what I mean, Just things
like that, you know. But I think it's amazing, and
I congratulate you for this for this book. How many
books have you written?
Speaker 2 (06:02):
This is number fourteen? I think, yeah, but no, but
it's like music for you, it is writing for me.
It's something that I have to do. If I don't
do it, I would explode internally. I need to do
something just to make sure that I can relieve the
stress and make sure that I have a completely mentally
(06:25):
healthy life. That's important and that's what writing is for me.
I'm sure that's what music is for you.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
It's like an outlet. I always say music is like
a therapy. So I think writing for you is like,
this is my form of releasing.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Just imagine what life would be for you, life without music,
for instance.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Oh yeah, oh no.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
It's impossible. It's simply impossible.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So it is.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You know, one of the stories that I tell in
the book, when my father died, I was about twenty
years ago. I was about to go on there to
do the newscast, and then I remember my mom calling
me and telling me, you know, your dad couldn't make it.
And you know what I did is something incredibly stupid.
I told the news director, I'm fine, I'm fine, I
(07:11):
can do the newscast. Let me do it. Fortunately Chikis
she said, no, you're not going to do that. You
go home, buy the ticket, go to Mexico City. But
I wanted to do the news. I just I just
didn't want to accept reality. And you know, sometimes when
we go through things like this, we reacting in very
(07:32):
rational ways. I guess, without writing, without being able to
express my feelings in a book, in this case, on
a screen in a computer, it would be very difficult
for me to do my job.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
Yeah, no, absolutely. And going to that, I was going
to ask you, does it feel awkward for you being
interviewed because you're so used to interviewing people. Does it
feel does it feel different?
Speaker 2 (07:58):
You know? It is difficult now because here's the power shifting.
When I was when I was asking the questions a
few months ago, when I when I met you, I
was in control. Right, I'm the one asking the questions,
and somehow I can direct the conversation towards whatever I'm
interested in. In this case, it's you. You're in control.
(08:21):
And something something funny happened to me before the interview.
I was doing my homework, just checking the latest social
media on you and the video and everything, and I
was thinking the opposite way. I was thinking, what am
I going to ask? Cheekies? And then I realized, no, no, no,
you cannot ask him about the ask her about the wedding,
or ask her about like Astralia. No, no, no, you
(08:45):
have to behave and then answer the questions. Yes, it's
a matter of power. Somehow asking the question puts you
in a position of power. There's an Italian writer Rina Falacci.
She died a few years ago, and she she used
to say that sometimes the interviews become war, and sometimes
(09:06):
the interviewer wins, and sometimes the interviewee wins. And I'm
sure it happens to you all the time. I'm sure
you have. You have had pretty aggressive interviews. And then
you come out and you say, I did it. I
answer exactly what I wanted, and I want that interview,
and sometimes you exactly and sometimes it's the opposite. Sometimes
(09:26):
you feel vulnerable and then you say, can I cannot
be haste to parget exactly. So in every interview it happens.
There are questions that that you do not ask, and
sometimes when you are on the other side, there are
answers that you go home and say, I wish I
could have said that.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Absolutely happens to me a lot. Actually it does. It does.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Those who who win the interviews with me, they're the
ones who have a message, and it doesn't matter what
you do. They a message and they have a complete
control of their own narrative. In other words, just what
you did with me, you told me your story, and
you were in complete control of your narrative. You knew
exactly what you wanted to say, you had a message
(10:13):
and it came across. But if you were not prepared
with that message, with that story, your own personal story,
that's the moment when the interviews go wrong.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
I agree, And that's what changed for me if you
would have asked me this, I don't know ten years ago.
In the interviews, I felt very vulnerable. I felt like,
oh my gosh, there, very scared. And until I found
my purpose and I realized, Okay, I have control. I
know what I'm talking about, I know what I want
to say, I know what I want to share, I
know what I don't want to share. It changed completely
(10:45):
for me. And that just happened recently. I think maybe
a little bit before you interviewed me, where this new
found I was Joe, take it or leave it, and
it just completely changed for me.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
And that's so important. Yeah, you have to own your
own story, yes you. I mean, I've seen stories go
completely wrong when when the artists or the writer, or
the journalists or the politician allows others to dictate their story.
But when you own your own story, even if it's difficult,
(11:18):
because we all have vulnerabilities and we all have weaknesses,
and even if it's difficult, but you own your own story,
and when you're in control, then that's a completely different story.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
No, but I did want to ask you, how did
you get into this field? What is it? Is it
something since you were young? Is it like? When did
this like love or passion grow in you.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
I grew up in a house with tres armanos in Normana,
and many times it was very difficult. I remember my
friends going on vacation and we stayed home most of
the time. And I don't think chick is that. I
that I traveled on a plane until I was probably
eleven or twelve, So my world was incredibly limited. And
(12:07):
I remember I'm sixty six right now. So I grew
up in a Mexico that was not a democracy. It
was really authoritarian, very repressive, and I wanted to be
a journalist, and I just didn't want to be a
sensor journalist in Mexico. I remember I had a small car,
Lumbo Chito, a Volkswagen, and I sold it for just
(12:29):
a few hundred dollars, and with that money, I came
to the United States as a student. Fortunately, as a student,
I studied for about a year and then I started
working with Univision in Los Angeles, Canalter in the Couadron
in Los Angeles. And then when I realized that as
a journalist, I didn't have the opportunity like many actors
(12:50):
and actresses have to live many lives through your roles.
But I was able as a journalist to live one
very intense life ass a journalist. And that's when I
loved it. When I realized that I could get to
know the people that that changed the world and being
the cases where history is being made. Gabriel Garcia Marquez
the ciak pus Mundo, and I think he was absolutely right,
(13:15):
because I have been able for the last four years
just to be whatever history is being made and getting
to know people that you might like or not, but
that are actually making history. So I got to know
what Chavis in Venezuela and Nicolas Maduro. I was arrested
in the Palace in Venezuela just for asking questions. I
(13:36):
can remember I confronted Donald Trump in a few years
ago when he said that Mexican immigrants were criminals and rapists,
and I wanted to tell him to his face that
he was lying, that that that is not true, that
I'm a Mexican immigrant and that we're not like that.
So it happened with him, and I talked to Joe
Biden and to other presidents. You don't have to like them,
(13:56):
but you get to know them. And that's that's why
i've journalism.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Yeah no, and you're great, absolutely amazing at it, because
that's one of the things that I admire, that you
speak your truth, you speak your mind, you speak with facts.
And Keevisto and I'm just like, dude, he has and
I'm not going to say it because it's but you
(14:21):
you know what I'm talking about. He has some.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
You know, you said something about facts. And nowadays in
social media, it's so easy just to get lost because
you use your phone and then you have no idea
if what you're reading is the truth or not. And
we as journalists, I think we have our strength, our
power comes from from facts. And I remember, I tell
(14:46):
the story in the book, but I went to five Manianetas.
Now Las Manianetas in Mexico City are the press conferences
by by the president and there is Manuel Pez and
they call it Las Maniana simply because he does it
that seven in the morning. Just imagine waking up every
day for five years just to have a press conference.
(15:06):
And I remember going to La Maa Nanetta once with
the President of Mexico and telling him that his government
was incredibly violent. More than one hundred and seventy thousand
people have been killed for the last five years. And
I was telling him, these are the facts. Said no, no, no,
you can go to rosatos. I have other facts. Said no,
mister president, you cannot have other facts. These facts I
(15:26):
got them from your own government and stear. He was
saying no, no, no, I have other facts and said no,
that is not possible. No, no, senor, no, it positively.
And then he got famous for using that trade day
ten go rosatos, which is beautiful because when somebody tells
you this is the truth and you said no, no, you
can go rosatos. There's really nothing.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Yeah, and we'll talking about that. Does in facts. I
have a question, a little bit of a personal question,
and it is something that you've talked about, but I
kind of want to know a little bit what exactly
does agnostic mean? Because I know what atheists mean, but
what is agnostic.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
I'm glad that you asked me about that. I grew
up in a Catholic family in a Catholic country, and
I went to Catholic school when I was very young,
elevel for elementary school and for middle school. But then
the priests in this school they were really abusive with us,
physically abusive. They would hit us in the hands, they
(16:27):
would hit us in the body, and they would instill
this fear of hell constantly. I mean, if we were
to sin or lie or misbehave, they would they would
tell us, kids, children, You're going to go to hell.
So I grew up with this really horrible idea about
(16:49):
religion and what religion meant, okay, And so what happened
is that since I was very very young, I was
very dissillusioned with official legion and I lost my faith.
I lost my faith. To you, I'm sure you believe
that when you die, you might go to heaven and
meet again all the people that that you lost and
(17:09):
that we lost. But I don't have that confidence. I
don't have that trust that it is going to happen.
So I'm not atheist. In other words, I cannot say
that God doesn't exist. But I am agnostic, which means
that I don't know. Okay, It is simply the lack
of knowledge, and I, you know, I it would be
(17:34):
beautiful for me to believe that that something is going
to happen after I die, and that I'm going to
meet my brother that I lost about a year ago,
and my dad in Mihatalola, in my peral soonset, and
that life is going to be eternal and beautiful. But
I don't have that trust. I don't I don't have
that faith. What do you believe when you die? What happens?
Speaker 1 (17:57):
I have a similar story to you. I respect religions,
but for me, organized religion isn't my cup of tea.
It's not for me because I was raised in a
very Christian home and went to church Wednesday's, Fridays and Sundays.
So I was in church a lot and a lot
of things happen in that church can may and I
(18:17):
was just very like the sea, and it just changed
for me. But I am I do believe in a
higher power. I believe in there's something bigger and greater
than I am, so I bow to it, and I
just I don't know what it is. I don't know
if it's a female energy or male energy. I just
know it's something more. So I consider myself a woman
of faith. Mass is spiritual, so the leon and you know,
(18:39):
I get that, but you know, I just I wanted
to ask because I really did not know.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
That's beautiful to have faith. I wish I could have
your faith. I mean, I honestly wish I could wake
up and believe that that things happen for a reason,
that there's a superior power and that he or she
is directing our lives in certain ways, that there's a destiny.
(19:04):
But I simply don't believe in that. So I have
to use my own, my own facts and be true
to myself. When I've been doing these readings all around
the country in Mexico, and I always say, thank you
so much for trying to save my soul. There's this
collective effort to save my soul, and I really appreciate it.
(19:27):
When when people pray for you, it's incredibly powerful and
I absolutely really really appreciate it. But I and I
respect that it doesn't happen.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Yeah, no, you're I think it's beautiful that you're honest,
that you are. This is who I am, and I
respect it, you know what I mean? And I get
it because you're a very man of facts, and it's
kind of like see it to believe it sort of thing.
Maybe I don't know verty while so that I think
you're wonderful.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Atheist and agnostic atheists, they can they can tell you know,
God does not exist. I'm not there. I cannot, I
cannot say that. I'm just still simply telling you I
don't know.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So now that I'm married, misters in your second gratulations, grass, yes,
it's the you have been married for how long?
Speaker 2 (20:17):
How long I've been with with with Cheeky.
Speaker 1 (20:20):
With cheeky who I love? She's so beautiful, you guys,
if you don't know who cheeky, She's amazing and only
physically Dane Linda. Every time I've seen her, she's been
so sweet.
Speaker 2 (20:30):
So and it's funny because some people call her Cheeky's.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
No, yeah, and they call me cheeky sometimes.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Yeah. It's Maria chi Yallo. We've been together for fourteen
years now and some you know, something beautiful that that
happened is that when I met her, I already had
Nicolas who's twenty six, and Paula who's thirty seven already
and Cheeky has Marie Lena and Carolota, who's fourteen right now.
So what we did was this incredible expressment of bringing
(21:01):
together two different families, and that has been the most
beautiful experience of my whole life. And now because Carota
she's fourteen, I'm a swift tea of course, and we've been,
we've been twice to see Taylor Swift and she's coming
to She's coming to Miami in a couple of months,
(21:21):
so I'm going to be there dancing again.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
My gosh, I love it. I'm a swifty too, by
the way.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, I think she's just fantastic. I mean, I'm sure
you've seen concerts all over the world, but I think
she has the most powerful, most complete show in the
world at this moment. I mean, I've never seen I
haven't seen artists three hours and a half constantly without
without stopping.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I agree, she's She's a powerful force, for sure.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
But anyway, I was talking about Taylor Swift. But I'm
also UNTI I'm I'm a follower of Bad Bonnie and
I know, I love it. I know, and oh and
this is so cool, Cassar and all those simply because
Carlotta is also a follower of Bad Bonnie. I saw
(22:09):
Bad Bonnie in Mexico City. Have youI seka chickies.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
I have not know?
Speaker 2 (22:16):
Is incredible. Of course it's for soccer. But I saw
Bad Bonnie here in Miami too. But I saw him
in front of eighty thousand people in Stadiusteca, and it
is impressive what he does, how he controls the audience.
I mean, you know, you know what it is to
seem to to tens of thousands of people. I have
(22:37):
no idea how it feels, but when you see it,
it is incredible. It is amazing, and I'm amazed not
only with his talent, but with his possess. The silences
during his concerts. Taylor Swift is a continuous show. But
then Bad Bonnie stops. He puts a towel in his head,
(22:58):
and then I don't know what happens. He goes into meditation.
He truly stops the concert for two or three minutes,
and then he's back. Those silences. That yeah, those silences
are incredible. I saw him in Miami stopping breathing. I
do yoga, so I sort of know about the breeding process.
(23:22):
And he stops and he starts breathing as if he's
just making sure that he realizes what's happening all around him. Maybe,
and you do your your own thing too, I mean,
you have your own rituals when you get nervous. I mean, first,
(23:43):
do you get nervous when you when you sing too
from thousands.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Of people when it's not my audience on the SOOM festival.
I get more nervous. When it's it's my concert and
I know people paid to see me. I feel a
little bit more confident, but the nerves are always there.
It's when I've gone to like you know, in Mexico
and it's it's just in festival and I'm like, oh
my gosh, I get even more nervous. But then after
(24:08):
thirty seconds it goes away.
Speaker 2 (24:10):
Oh interesting, Yeah, thirty seconds and goes away. And when
I do when I have important interviews with presidents, or
when you have to participate in a debate with political
candidates and so on, the first question is the difficult
for me. And once I get through the first question
that I practice a thousand times, then it feels a
little better.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
Yeah. Absolutely, And I think nerves are good because we're
passionate about what we're doing. That's how I see it. Personally,
but you have. I love to know that you have
great taste, you're swifty and you and you're a bad buddy.
I love it. Now, what's your favorite color? I just
now that we're talking about these things.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
But do you have you always were blue?
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Okay, yes for some reason. I mean, if you see
my thank you so much for allowing me to get
into your closet. I saw mine is so boring because
it's just like the same way you're seeing me right now,
with a with a blue jacket and a dark blue
jacket and a blue shirt. That's that's how it is
(25:11):
and the beauty about it. I understand that Mark Sockerberg
in Black Obama and others they do the same. They don't.
They basically don't change how they dress. That way, you
can spend time thinking about other things. So yes, so
I like that you cannot do that, right.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
No, I love stuff, that's the thing as you as
you saw in my closet. I just love stuff in Gusta.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
But are you worried that if you repeat something that
you wore for one concert that people are gonna complain
or are gonna say, oh, she used it.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
Yes, a little bit. I'm not gonna lie. I do
feel sometimes that I I don't like to wear things
twice on television. I'll wear it in real life, but
for television, I'm like, okay, I'll just change it up
and then I donate. I love donating my clothes. But
I learned now I'm starting to rent stuff because I'm like,
that's just you know, so now I rent it. Yeah, yeah, yes,
(26:11):
I know. I have only a few more minutes with you,
but I just wanted to. I wanted to say thank you.
I know you're very busy man, and if you could
just give me a bit of advice on marriage, like
what is what's the secret? Just a little one, just
something small.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
No, I don't think i'm the one. I'm not the
right person for that. I'm not the right person for that.
But I really wish you you know something. As I
told you, I was doing my homework before doing the
interview with you, and I and I just love all
the It was so beautiful, happy for you. Yeah, and
(26:54):
what I love about it is that you did it
in your own terms, exactly as you wanted.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
That's so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
Thank you so much. I appreciate it. I did get
a lot of love and it was just very peaceful
and very intimate and and I appreciate that. So check
your smile Monday.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
Check check your smile. And in the pictures, oh yes,
I'm not sure if you have that. It's the perfect smile.
It's it's someone who is at peace and in love
and that's what you want, right.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Yes, absolutely, thank you. That means a lot to me. Yes,
thank you so much, and I appreciate you guys. Everyone
that's listening, please go outespol a Liberal las Cosas. They'll
signormos you guys and anyways, you guys. I hope you
enjoyed this episode. I definitely did. It was nice to
(27:46):
hear from from you on a different level. And again,
thank you so much for being on my podcast. I
really appreciate it. You do you need advice on love, relationships,
health emails. I'm so excited to share with you that
(28:08):
my Cheeky's and Chill podcast will have an extra episode
drop each week. I'll be answering all your questions. Just
leave me a voice message Monday. All you have to
do is go to speak pipe dot com slash Cheekys
and Chill podcast and record your questions. I can't wait
to hear from you. This is a production of iHeartRadio
(28:33):
and the Microdura podcast Network. Follow us on Instagram at
Michael Doura Podcasts and follow me Cheeky's That's c h
i q u i s. For more podcasts from iHeart,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite podcast
Host
Chiquis
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