Oscar Yanes

Óscar Armando Yanes González (25 April 1927–21 October 2013) was a Venezuelan journalist and bestselling author, considered a pioneer in Venezuelan broadcast journalism.

He was awarded three times with the National Prize for Journalism.

As a child he attended the Zamora School.

The idol of where he lived, at that time, was a boxer named Armando Best.

Pompeyo Márquez and Eloy Torres also studied at that school.

Later on, Yanes went to the University and studied as a journalist, after seeing a notice from the newspaper.

In the late 1940s received the first prize from the Venezuelan Association of Writers for his book Carlos J. Bello, el Sabio Olvidado (Carlos J. Bello, the forgotten wise man).

He entered the first school of journalism that existed in Venezuela, at the Free University "Augusteo", founded in October 1941 by Monsignor Rafael Lovera, at the time of the General Isaías Medina Angarita.

Press freedom given by General Medina Angarita allowed the circulation of 3 newspapers that made history: Últimas Noticias, El Nacional and El Morrocoy Blue.

Yanes signed up for the founding squad of Últimas Noticias and stayed there for a few years.

At age 25 he assumes the direction of the newspaper La Esfera.

Ramón David León, who gave him the chance at 13 years of getting to know the world of journalism, gives him his office and his position 12 years later, when he decides to sell the newspaper and buys it Miguel Ángel Capriles.

-Leading the team of Venevisión a Venezuelan network, Yanes was sent in 1966 to Vietnam as a war correspondent and press officer.

For two months he made six reports that were distributed throughout Latin America: "The War on the Sea"( la guerra en el mar), "The War in the Air" (la guerra en el aire), "The War in the Jungle"(la guerra en la selva), "The Vietcong", "The Religion "(la religion) and" The Vietnamese Woman. "(la mujer Vietnamita).

He stood out as professor of the first class of the School of Social Communication of the Central University of Venezuela" Universidad Central de Venezuela" and dictated a Class in the "Universidad Catolica Andres Bello"Andrés Bello Catholic University of Caracas.

He won on three occasions the National Prize for Journalism, the Monseñor Pellín Prize and the First Prize of the Association of Writers of Venezuela in the contest of biographies of famous Venezuelans, for his work entitled "Carlos J. Bello, the Forgotten Sage".

He also won the Silver Book Award in 1992, awarded by Editorial Planeta for the book with the highest circulation of the year.

Considered one of the pioneers in Realtime TV journalism, with particular interviews confronting many in front of the cameras, he became famous for his rhetoric and historic ways in television programs.

Óscar Yanes was famous for his tales about contemporary history in the TV program Así son las Cosas (The way things are).

In 1992 won the Silver Book Prize awarded by Planeta Publishing, for the largest book circulation of the year.

Óscar Yanes died on 21 October 2013, due to complications with prostate cancer.