Almudena Ariza, Radiotelevisión Española's current correspondent in Bogotá, was the latest guest on Mercedes Milá's interview show Me meto en un jardín, broadcast last night on Spain's La 2. Ariza spoke openly about working alongside Queen Letizia of Spain when the two were colleagues at RTVE, before Letizia joined the royal family, describing her former newsroom colleague as an exceptional person.
Crossing Paths Before the Iraq War
Ariza recalled crossing paths with Letizia Ortiz in the hallways of RTVE at a time when Ariza was preparing to cover the Iraq war. Letizia, she said, joked that she had been assigned to report on the carnival in Tenerife instead.
Years later, Ariza said she still holds a very positive opinion of the queen, calling her an exceptional person. Ariza said Letizia always showed a strong interest in direct contact with reality and with people, and that this trait still shows in how she carries out her role as queen today.
According to Ariza, Letizia takes an interest in everything happening around her, an attitude Ariza said was already part of her personality before she joined the royal family.
Motherhood and War Reporting
Ariza also discussed her own experience of raising children while working as a war reporter. She said motherhood never held her back professionally, though it did lead her to think hard about many questions around balancing work and family life.
Ariza said she eventually concluded that being a good mother required her to also feel fulfilled as a person in her own right.
