Felipe Humberto Camiroaga Fernández (8 October 1966 – 2 September 2011) was a Chilean television presenter, actor and comedian, one of the most popular in his country.
Camiroaga hosted many shows for Chilean television station
TVN, including the morning talk show ''
Buenos Días a Todos'' and a late-night talk show ''
Animal Nocturno
''Animal Nocturno'' is the fourth studio album released by Guatemalan singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona on February 9, 1993.
Reception
AllMusic reviewer Jason Birchmeier awarded the album 4 stars stating "The lyrics of Animal Nocturno are reb ...
''. He also acted in several TV series, such as ''Jaque Mate'' and ''Rojo y Miel'', and in two films. Camiroaga twice hosted the
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival () is an annual international music festival held every third week of February in Viña del Mar, Chile. Started in 1960 it is the oldest and largest music festival in Latin America, and one of the long ...
in
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
and
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
. He was nicknamed "Halcón de Chicureo" ("Falcon of Chicureo") because he bred
falcon
Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Some small species of falcons with long, narrow wings are called hobbies, and some that hover while hunting are called kestrels. Falcons are widely distrib ...
s in his residence in
Chicureo
Chicureo (from Mapudungun ''chikümn rewe'' 'place where lances are set up') is a city located in Colina, an urban-suburban commune of Chile, Chacabuco Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. In 2017 it had a population of 10,975 inhabitants.
P ...
, a rural area north of
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...
.
Camiroaga died on 2 September 2011 after the military plane which was taking him and twenty others to
Juan Fernández Archipelago
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...
crashed in the sea. Camiroaga's death was officially announced seven days later, and after a funeral oration at TVN's headquarters, he was buried in Santiago. He has been posthumously awarded several prizes, including the "Social Communicator Special Award" by the
National Council of Television in 2011.
Early life and studies
Camiroaga was born in Santiago, Chile. His parents were Jorge Camiroaga Puch and María de la Luz Fernández Stemann; he was the second of three brothers. Camiroaga and Fernández separated when Felipe was four years old. His mother moved to the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...
in Spain, leaving her children with their father. In the Canaries, Fernández married Fernando Bontempi, with whom she had three children, including Spanish actress
Paola Bontempi
Paola Bontempi Fernández (, ; born 12 September 1977) a Spanish actress and television host.
Bontempi was born to Chilean parents: María de la Luz Fernández Stemann, mother of the deceased Chilean television presenter Felipe Camiroaga, and F ...
.
Camiroaga was of
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
, German, and
Peruvian
Peruvians (''/peruanas'') are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 ...
descent; he traces his Peruvian ancestry to his paternal grandmother Irene Puch de Olazábal who was born in
Arequipa
Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...
; Camiroaga's German blood is traced to his mother and paternal grandmother. His paternal grandfather was
Carabineros de Chile
The () are the Chilean national law enforcement gendarmerie, who have jurisdiction over the entire national territory of the Republic of Chile. Created in 1927, their mission is to maintain order and enforce the laws of Chile. They reported to ...
colonel
Humberto Camiroaga, Director of the
Escuela de Carabineros de Chile.
During his childhood, Camiroaga regularly visited rural places such as
Villa Alegre, where his aunt Lavinia "Mirnia" Camiroaga lived, and
Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island (, ) is the second largest of the Juan Fernández Islands, situated 670 km (362 nmi; 416 mi) west of San Antonio, Chile, San Antonio, Chile, in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the more populous of the inhabit ...
, marking his love for animals and the countryside. In 1981, while spending his vacations at the
Juan Fernández Archipelago
''Juan'' is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of ''John''. The name is of Hebrew origin and has the meaning "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain and in other Spanish-speaking countries around the world and in the Philippi ...
, Camiroaga offered to work as a camera assistant for a TV crew from Televisión Nacional de Chile that was in the location, his first ever interaction with TV.
Camiroaga was named an "Illustrious Son" of Villa Alegre in May 2011.
Camiroaga completed his primary studies at Colegio San Ignacio de El Bosque, and his secondary studies at Colegio Marshall. In 1987, he completed studies of TV Production and Direction at Instituto Incacea. He also studied journalism at
Las Condes University, but did not complete the course, and theater at Academia de Actuación Fernando González Mardones.
Career in television
Felipe Camiroaga started working as a camera assistant at the press department of television channel Red de Televisión Universidad de Chile (RTU, now
Chilevisión
Chilevisión (often abbreviated as CHV) is a Chilean free-to-air television channel. It is the third oldest Chilean television network, owned by Paramount Networks Americas, being founded by the University of Chile on November 4, 1960.
Hist ...
) in 1988, and later as a production assistant at the channel's production department. But he quickly went from off to on-camera; his first job was as a host in a music video programme called ''Videotop'', that was previously hosted by
Pablo Aguilera and
Justus Liebig
Justus ''Freiherr'' von Liebig (12 May 1803 – 18 April 1873) was a German scientist who made major contributions to the theory, practice, and pedagogy of chemistry, as well as to agricultural and biological chemistry; he is considered one of ...
.
Later, he presented ''
Extra Jóvenes'', RTU's teenage-oriented show, which he co-hosted with
Katherine Salosny
Katherine Estrella Salosny Reyes (born 8 April 1964) is a Chilean actress and television presenter.
Early years
As a child, Katherine Salosny lived with her mother in Mendoza, Argentina. She returned to Chile in her adolescence and attended Redla ...
.
His chemistry with Salosny proved successful and he became her co-host a few months later. In 1991 he declined an offer to become a
news anchor
A news presenter – also known as a newsreader, newscaster (short for "news broadcaster"), anchorman or anchorwoman, news anchor or simply an anchor – is a person who presents news during a news program on TV, radio or the Internet. ...
and continued at ''Extra Jóvenes'', now co-presenting with Claudia Conserva.
Camiroaga was hired by Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) in 1992 to co-host ''Buenos Días a Todos'' with
Tati Penna
Constanza Bernardita Penna Brüggemann, better known as Tati Penna (February 26, 1960 – April 14, 2021), was a Chilean singer, journalist, radio announcer and television presenter. She was prominent in various areas of communications, and was c ...
, a breakfast programme first transmitted that year; however, the couple were later replaced by
Margot Kahl and
Jorge Hevia.
Later, he had a brief television acting career, debuting in ''Jaque Mate'', and later he portrayed an antagonistic character in ''
Rojo y Miel
Rojo may refer to:
People
*Rojo (surname)
Music
* Rojo (band), a Mexican Christian rock band
** ''Rojo'' (Rojo album), 2001
* ''Rojo'' (Red Garland album), 1961
* "Rojo", a song by J Balvin from ''Colores'', 2020
* ''Rojo'', an album by Río ...
''.
Despite being advised by actress
Ana Reeves
Ana Reeves Salinas (born December 22, 1948), best known as Anita Reeves, is a Chilean television, film and theatre actress and occasional theatre director. In 2004 Reeves received the APES (Asociación de Periodistas de Espectáculos) prize for ...
,
Camiroaga did not receive good reviews for his acting performances.
At the same time, he hosted some unsuccessful programmes, such as ''La Gran Apuesta'' and ''El Chapuzón'', and others with mixed results, such as ''Motín a Bordo'' and ''Contigo en Verano''.
However, at the end of the 1990s, he achieved success with prime time programme ''La Noche del Mundial'', which was broadcast during the
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup was the 16th FIFA World Cup, the Association football, football world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams. The finals tournament was held in France from 10 June to 1 ...
, and ''
Pase lo que Pase'', a miscellaneous evening programme which he co-hosted with
Karen Doggenweiler
Karen Sylvia Doggenweiler Lapuente (27 August 1969) is a popular Chilean journalist and TV presenter.
Biography
Doggenweiler is the daughter of Félix Doggenweiler Heim, of Switzerland, Swiss-Germans, German descent and Silvia Lapuente, of Sp ...
.

Camiroaga also hosted prime time programmes during the 2000s such as ''Con Mucho Cariño'' and ''Ciudad Gótica'', both of which did not complete a full season for their "controversial contents", and the first two seasons of the reality show ''
Pelotón
''Pelotón'' (Spanish language, Spanish for "platoon") is a Chilean reality show on Televisión Nacional de Chile in which the participants undergo an intense regime of military training. The winner receives 50 million pesos. The first season aire ...
''.
In 2004 he co-hosted ''Pasiones'' with
Bárbara Rebolledo
Bárbara Rebolledo Sánchez (born 22 January 1973) is a Chilean television presenter. For years, she was the face of Televisión Nacional de Chile
Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) is a Chilean Public broadcasting, public service broadcast ...
, but he left the programme later that year and was replaced by
Martín Cárcamo
Martín Andrés Cárcamo Papic (born April 21, 1975) is a Chilean television presenter, actor and former host of ''Pasiones'' and ''El Último Pasajero''.
He debuted in television on the Chilean TV channel Rock & Pop where he was the host of ''M ...
. He returned to ''Buenos Días a Todos'' in 2005, sharing duties with
Tonka Tomicic
Tonka Tomicic Petric (; born 31 May 1976) is a Chilean TV host and beauty pageant titleholder. She is of Croatian origin.
Best known for televisions shows on TVN and Canal 13 as Buenos Dias A Todos, Viña's International Festival and Bienv ...
, then with Katherine Salosny, and finally
Carolina de Moras
Carolina Andrea de Moras Alvarado (born 24 February 1981 in Osorno) is a Chilean model, actress and television presenter of French origin.
Cinema
Television
TV shows
Series and unitary
Specials
References
External link ...
. The replacement of Salosny by de Moras was not well received and the local entertainment media blamed Camiroaga for it, which later resulted in a mass booing while Camiroaga was being awarded a Premio
Copihue de Oro for "Best TV presenter" at the
Teatro Caupolicán
Teatro Caupolicán (''Caupolicán Theatre'') is a theatre and music venue located on the San Diego street in Santiago, Chile. It was opened in 1936. During its long history has hosted sporting, political, and cultural events. Currently is an impo ...
in Santiago, in 2010. In 2006, he began hosting his own talk show, ''Animal Nocturno''.
In February 2009 he co-presented the
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival () is an annual international music festival held every third week of February in Viña del Mar, Chile. Started in 1960 it is the oldest and largest music festival in Latin America, and one of the long ...
with
Soledad Onetto
Maria Soledad Onetto (born July 27, 1976 in Santiago, Chile) is a Chilean TV presenter. She is a journalism graduate from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, news reader and TV host Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, ...
, and also co-presented the 2010 edition.
In 2010, Camiroaga co-hosted ''
Halcón y Camaleón'' with comedian
Stefan Kramer. That same year, he received an offer from US television network
Univisión
Univision () is an American Spanish-language terrestrial television, free-to-air television network owned by TelevisaUnivision. It is the United States' largest provider of Spanish-language content. The network's programming is aimed at the L ...
to present a breakfast programme. Camiroaga rejected this offer and renewed his contract with TVN for three years.
Characters
Camiroaga proved to be versatile in his TV programmes, where he created characters such as ''El Washington'', a poor man who lives on the street and survives on leftover food, distinguished by his humble origin. ''El Washington'' was created in ''Buenos Días a Todos'', and subsequently developed in ''Pase lo que Pase'', where it became popular in
sketch comedies with Karen Doggenweiler, the ''Señorita Andrea''. Camiroaga hosted a radio programme called ''El Almacén del Washington'' in
Corazón FM, dedicated to the trading of articles.
One of Camiroaga's most recognized characters is ''Luciano Bello'', a TV presenter native to
Maracaibo
Maracaibo ( , ; ) is a city and municipality in northwestern Venezuela, on the western shore of the strait that connects Lake Maracaibo to the Gulf of Venezuela. It is the largest city in Venezuela and is List of cities in Venezuela by population ...
, Venezuela. He is characterized by his large teeth and is coquettish with women. His typical phrase was: "You're hot and intelligent." ("Eres rica e inteligente.") His name parodies Chilean-Venezuelan
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humanism" ha ...
Andrés Bello
Andrés de Jesús María y José Bello López (; November 29, 1781 – October 15, 1865) was a Venezuelan Humanism, humanist, diplomat, poet, legislator, philosopher, educator and philologist, whose political and literary works constitute a ...
, and some of his moves parody those of the singer of same nationality
José Luis Rodríguez. ''Luciano Bello'' appeared for the first time in ''La Noche del Mundial'' in 1998. The character was strongly criticized by deputy
Enrique Krauss, who called him vulgar. ("chabacano.")
Other projects
As well as acting in TV series, Camiroaga was active in theatre and cinema. In 2000, he participated in the theatrical work ''Venecia'', directed by
Boris Quercia
Boris Quercia Martinic (born 31 August 1967) is a Chilean actor, director, writer, and producer. In theater, he stood out for his performance as Roberto Parra Sandoval in the acclaimed work ' by . As a filmmaker, his first feature film ''Sex wit ...
, starring
Gabriela Medina
Gabriela Elizabeth Medina Solórzano (born 3 March 1985 in Guadalajara, Jalisco) is a Mexican sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.
Personal bests
Her personal best time is 51.25 seconds, achieved in May 2007 in Xalapa
Xalapa or Ja ...
,
Carmen Barros
Carmen Aída Barros Alfonso (7 January 1925 – 21 December 2023) was a Chilean actress and singer of jazz, popular music, and opera. In addition, she was a professor of acting perception, diction, and vocal projection, and a theater and opera di ...
,
Tichi Lobos and
Javiera Contador
Javiera Contador (born June 17, 1974 in Santiago) is a Chilean actress, comedian and television hostess. She played ''Quena Gómez de Larraín'' on the television show Casado con Hijos.
She studied theatre at Pontificia Universidad Católica de ...
; Camiroaga was the only male actor. In 2006 he had a secondary role in the film ''Pretendiendo'', directed by Claudio Dabed and starred by
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
an-
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
actress
Bárbara Mori
Bárbara Mori Ochoa () (born 2 February 1978) is a Uruguayan-born Mexican actress, model, producer and writer. She is known for playing the main character in the 2004 telenovela '' Rubí,'' one of the most successful telenovelas of all time. Sin ...
. The night before his death, on 1 September 2011, Camiroaga participated in the recording of the comedy film ''Stefan vs. Kramer'' with comedian
Stefan Kramer and TV presenter
Martín Cárcamo
Martín Andrés Cárcamo Papic (born April 21, 1975) is a Chilean television presenter, actor and former host of ''Pasiones'' and ''El Último Pasajero''.
He debuted in television on the Chilean TV channel Rock & Pop where he was the host of ''M ...
. At first it was not known whether Camiroaga's scenes would appear in the film, whose release was scheduled for 2012. In late October 2011, Kramer said he would include the scenes in the film, as Camiroaga "wanted to be in it."
In 2001, the programme ''Pase lo que Pase'' released the album ''La Banda del Pase lo que Pase'', in which Camiroaga debuted as a singer. The album was produced by
Warner Music
Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and the third-largest in the gl ...
, and reached
gold album
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
status in Chile.
Camiroaga also worked in advertising for
Falabella
The Falabella is an Argentine list of horse breeds, breed of small horse. It is among the smallest of horse breeds, with a height at the withers in the range ..
History
The horses of South America descend from Andalusian horse, Andalusian and ...
and
Ripley. At the time of his death, he still had an active contract with Ripley, who decided to remove all advertising in which Camiroaga appeared.
Death
Camiroaga was travelling with a team from ''Buenos Días a Todos'', personnel from
Desafío Levantemos Chile and the
National Council of Culture and the Arts
The National Council of Culture and the Arts (CNCA) was the Chilean government agency responsible for arts and cultural policy. The council was founded in 2003 and amalgamated arts and cultural policy under a single agency. It was a cabinet-level ...
to
Robinson Crusoe Island
Robinson Crusoe Island (, ) is the second largest of the Juan Fernández Islands, situated 670 km (362 nmi; 416 mi) west of San Antonio, Chile, San Antonio, Chile, in the South Pacific Ocean. It is the more populous of the inhabit ...
in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, when the
Chilean Air Force
The Chilean Air Force () is the air force of Chile and branch of the Chilean military.
History
The first step towards the current FACh is taken by Lieutenant Colonel, Teniente Coronel training as a pilot in France. Although a local academy was c ...
(FACh)
CASA C-212 Aviocar
The CASA C-212 Aviocar is a turboprop-powered STOL medium cargo aircraft designed and built by Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA (CASA). It is designed for use by both civil and military operators.
The C-212 was ...
plane which was carrying them crashed into the sea and disintegrated while it was trying to land at the Robinson Crusoe Aerodrome, on 2 September 2011. The aircraft tried to touch down twice unsuccessfully before it disappeared.
It was piloted by Lieutenant Carolina Fernández, one of the first female pilots in FACh's history, and Lieutenant Juan Pablo Mallea. Journalist
Roberto Bruce
Roberto Andrés Bruce Pruzzo (; 30 July 1979 – 2 September 2011) was a Chilean television journalist, mainly known for his work on Televisión Nacional de Chile's breakfast programme '' Buenos Días a Todos''. Bruce also worked as host of ' ...
—also part of ''Buenos Días a Todos''— and businessman
Felipe Cubillos, were also aboard the plane.
On 3 September 2011, Defense Minister
Andrés Allamand
Andrés Allamand Zavala (born February 7, 1956), a Chilean politician, is the founder and one of the past leaders of Renovación Nacional. He is of French, and Basque descent. On January 14, 2011 he was named Minister of Defense by president Se ...
said it was unlikely anyone survived the accident; they may have died instantly on impact.
President
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique (; 1 December 1949 – 6 February 2024) was a Chilean businessman and politician who served as President of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022. The son of a Christian Democratic Party (C ...
decreed national mourning for the days of 5 and 6 September 2011. Seven days after the crash, Secretary General of Government
Andrés Chadwick
Andrés Pío Bernardino Chadwick Piñera (born 2 January 1956) is a Chilean right-wing politician and lawyer, member of the Independent Democrat Union (UDI) party. He began his political career as a supporter of the Pinochet dictatorship, and wa ...
announced that body remains rescued from the sea were identified by DNA tests as Camiroaga, Felipe Cubillos and three other passengers.
Camiroaga's remains were cremated in a private ceremony on 12 September 2011,
and the next day a funeral oration was conducted at the Televisión Nacional de Chile's headquarters, which was broadcast live by the station. It was attended by five hundred people invited by his family and the TV channel. After the service, the amphora containing the presenter's ashes was moved in a hearse under a police escort, which was followed by his relatives. A crowd of around five thousand people accompanied the hearse from
Barrio Bellavista
Barrio Bellavista (''Bellavista Neighborhood'') is an neighborhood that lies between the Mapocho River and San Cristóbal Hill in Santiago, Chile. It is known as Santiago's bohemian quarter, with numerous restaurants, boutiques, avant-garde gal ...
to the
Pérgola de las Flores, in
Recoleta. After this, his remains were taken to the
Parque del Recuerdo cemetery, where a private ceremony was conducted, attended by relatives and Camiroaga's closest friends.
On 16 November 2011, Camiroaga's ashes were taken to the Lugar de Los Hombres Ilustres of
Villa Alegre's churchyard.
Posthumous homages and reactions

After the announcement of Camiroaga's death in the crash, thousands of people went to the façade of the Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) headquarters, in the commune of
Providencia, to express their love and affection for Camiroaga, the rest of the team from ''Buenos Días a Todos'' and the other plane passengers. Such expressions of support were repeated in regional headquarters of the TV channel, where they placed some condolence books for the public.
On 5 September 2011,
Julián Elfenbein
Julián Eduardo Elfenbein Kaufmann (born in Santiago, Chile on July 24, 1972) is a Chilean journalist, radio broadcaster and television presenter.
Career
Julián Elfenbein studied journalism at the ''Universidad Diego Portales'' and upon graduati ...
,
Carolina de Moras
Carolina Andrea de Moras Alvarado (born 24 February 1981 in Osorno) is a Chilean model, actress and television presenter of French origin.
Cinema
Television
TV shows
Series and unitary
Specials
References
External link ...
,
Jorge Hevia, Karen Doggenweiler and emblematic staff of ''Buenos Días a Todos'', friends, TVN personalities and from other channels – including competitors of the programme – joined to pay tribute to Camiroaga in his program. In that episode of ''Buenos Días a Todos'', the first since Camiroaga's death, his friend and TV director
Daniel Sagüés commented that Felipe once told him that he wanted
Silvio Rodríguez
Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez (born 29 November 1946) is a Cuban musician, and leader of the Nueva Trova movement.
He is widely considered as Cuba's best folk singer and arguably one of Latin America's greatest singer-songwriters. Known for his ...
's song "Ángel para un Final" to be played in his funeral. As soon as Rodríguez was informed of this, he commented on his blog it would be a "high honour" for him that his song was played at Camiroaga's funeral. Other international personalities, such as
Lucero Lucero may refer to:
* Lucero (given name) a Spanish given name
* Lucero (surname) a Spanish surname
* Lucero (entertainer) (born 1969), Mexican singer and actress
** ''Lucero'' (album), eponymous album released in 1993
* Lucero (band), an Ameri ...
,
Yuri Yuri may refer to:
People
Given name
*Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc.
*Yuri (Japanese name), feminine Japanese given names, including a list o ...
,
Ricardo Montaner
Héctor Eduardo Reglero Montaner (born 8 September 1957), better known as Ricardo Montaner (), is an Argentine-born Venezuelan singer. Since starting his career in the late 1970s, he has released more than 24 albums, and many successful singles ...
,
Alejandro Sanz
Alejandro Sánchez Pizarro, better known as Alejandro Sanz (; born 18 December 1968), is a Spanish musician, singer and composer. He has won 22 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards. He has received the Latin Grammy for Latin Grammy Award ...
,
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martin Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography incorporati ...
,
Luis Fonsi
Luis Alfonso Rodríguez López-Cepero (born April 15, 1978), known by his stage name Luis Fonsi (), is a Puerto Rican singer. He is known for his soulful and dance oriented songs, most notably 2017's "Despacito".
Fonsi received his first Latin ...
, amid others, expressed their sadness and consternation at Camiroaga's death, through the social networks Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The plane crash was extensively covered by the press, nationally and internationally, emphasizing the figure of the TV presenter, including
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
from the United Kingdom.
Qatari news channel
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN; , ) is a private-media conglomerate headquartered in Wadi Al Sail, Doha, funded in part by the government of Qatar. The network's flagship channels include Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Jazeera English, which pro ...
covered the news on the plane crash immediately after it occurred and also emphasized the deaths of Camiroaga and
Felipe Cubillos. In
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
, various media outlets referred to Camiroaga as "the Chilean Tinelli", in reference to Argentinean presenter
Marcelo Tinelli
Marcelo Hugo Tinelli (born 1 April 1960) is an Argentine television and radio host, media producer and businessman, best known as the host of the TV show '' Showmatch'' broadcast on Argentina's El Trece.
One of the most famous supporters of sp ...
. An Argentinean TV programme called ''Duro de Domar'' mocked the Juan Fernández tragedy, focusing on Camiroaga and his relationships with
Rocío Marengo
Rocío Marengo (born March 25, 1980) is an Argentine model, actress, vedette, comedian and dancer.
Early life and career
Marengo early television experience includes co-hosting ''Mar de Fondo'' with Alejandro Fantino on TyC Sports.(19 April ...
and
Cecilia Bolocco
Cecilia Carolina Bolocco Fonck (born May 19, 1965) is a Chilean actress, TV host and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universo Chile 1987 and Miss Universe 1987.
Bolocco has worked as a journalist on the Spanish language editi ...
, provoking harsh attacks from Chileans in social networks.
Chilean newspaper ''
Las Últimas Noticias
() is a Chilean, daily middle market tabloid newspaper owned by El Mercurio SAP. This company publishes various newspapers for a different audience: El Mercurio people look up to and ability to view, mainly close to the reading, La Segunda main ...
'' caused controversy on 2 September 2011; its digital edition cover was headlined "The last flight of the Falcon" ("El último vuelo del halcón"), which generated outrage from Internet users, as Camiroaga's whereabouts were unknown at the time. The cover was replaced and the next day the newspaper said the public had misinterpreted the intention of the headline.
Televisión Nacional de Chile decided to name the studio from which ''Buenos Días a Todos'' is transmitted "Felipe Camiroaga Fernández", and kept free the TV presenter's parking space to remember him.
The municipality of
Colina, where Camiroaga lived in Chicureo, announced they would name him posthumously "Illustrious Son" of the community.
and the Lo Arcaya Avenue would be renamed after him. Additionally, the
Chilean Telethon (Teletón) paid homage to Camiroaga and the twenty other passengers of the aircraft in its opening and at the
Julio Martínez National Stadium in the fundraising's 2011 edition.
On 26 September 2011, the
National Council of Television (''Consejo Nacional de Televisión''; CNTV) awarded posthumously Camiroaga with the "Special Award in Communications."
The Sala Felipe Camiroaga (Felipe Camiroaga Room) in the Museum of Villa Alegre was inaugurated on 3 May 2012; personal belongings, public and private photographs and a
bust of Camiroaga made by Galavarino Ponce are exhibited. His father, siblings, his partner
Fernanda Hansen, close friends and followers were present at the ceremony.
In 2013, and as part of the student movement which started in 2011 demanding higher quality and free education in Chile – a movement which Camiroaga supported – students of the Law School of the
University of Valparaíso
The University of Valparaíso (UV) is a state public university in Chile, with its headquarters and the majority of its campuses in the city of Valparaíso. It has several other campuses in the Valparaíso Region and in Santiago, which is 100&nb ...
created the Juventud Rebelde Felipe Camiroaga (Felipe Camiroaga Rebel Youth) political group, which describes itself as "
group ofleft-wing students with no defined party, who believe that organization and participation are the necessary tools to make the changes we want," specifying also that "revolution is made by parts", satirizing Camiroaga's death. The group, according to Publimetro Chile, is "partly satire, partly real facts", and is not supposed to use Camiroaga's image as a "martyr", but as "a person who puts them into a crucial movilization frame." The Juventud Rebelde Felipe Camiroaga group has been replicated in other universities, including the
University of Chile
The University of Chile () is a public university, public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. and the
Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences
The Metropolitan University of Educational Sciences ( (UMCE), is a public and traditional university located in the commune of Ñuñoa, Chile. It is the fourth oldest university in the country, founded in 1889 as college of the University of Chi ...
.
Personal life
Although Camiroaga had several romantic relationships within the media industry, Camiroaga never married, and was considered "one of the most coveted bachelors" by the Chilean tabloid press.
Camiroaga was linked romantically with several Chilean TV personalities, such as Katherine Salosny,
Angélica Castro,
Karen Doggenweiler,
Bárbara Rebolledo
Bárbara Rebolledo Sánchez (born 22 January 1973) is a Chilean television presenter. For years, she was the face of Televisión Nacional de Chile
Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) is a Chilean Public broadcasting, public service broadcast ...
,
Paz Bascuñán
María Paz Bascuñán Aylwin (, 2 June 1975), commonly known as Paz Bascuñán, is a Chilean theatre, film and television actress. Daughter of politician Mariana Aylwin and granddaughter of Chile's former president Patricio Aylwin, and has more ...
and
Fernanda Hansen, with whom he was in a relationship at the time of his death.
He was also linked to
Rocío Marengo
Rocío Marengo (born March 25, 1980) is an Argentine model, actress, vedette, comedian and dancer.
Early life and career
Marengo early television experience includes co-hosting ''Mar de Fondo'' with Alejandro Fantino on TyC Sports.(19 April ...
,
Francini Amaral,
Krishna Navas, amid others. In 1992, he had a short-lived relationship with Mexican singer and actress
Lucero Lucero may refer to:
* Lucero (given name) a Spanish given name
* Lucero (surname) a Spanish surname
* Lucero (entertainer) (born 1969), Mexican singer and actress
** ''Lucero'' (album), eponymous album released in 1993
* Lucero (band), an Ameri ...
while they were jurors at the 1992 edition of the
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival () is an annual international music festival held every third week of February in Viña del Mar, Chile. Started in 1960 it is the oldest and largest music festival in Latin America, and one of the long ...
; the relationship later developed into friendship.
Camiroaga lived in a land lot near Chicureo. He lives as a
huaso
A ''huaso'' () is a Chilean countryman and skilled horseman, similar to the United States, American cowboy, the Mexico, Mexican ''charro'' (and its northern equivalent, the ''vaquero''), the ''gaucho'' of Argentina, Uruguay and Rio Grande Do S ...
-style farm owner dedicated to the breeding of horses, dogs and birds. In February 2011, his house was totally destroyed by a fire. Although it was first reported the fire was caused by an electrical failure, the possibility that it was arson was later considered. Felipe Camiroaga practiced
polo
Polo is a stick and ball game that is played on horseback as a traditional field sport. It is one of the world's oldest known team sports, having been adopted in the Western world from the game of Chovgan (), which originated in ancient ...
; he also was an aviation enthusiast and completed his pilot training in 1996.
Political views
In his later years, Camiroaga openly demonstrated his political preferences, something uncommon in Chilean television presenters.
Although he grew up in a
right-wing
Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
family, supportive of the
Pinochet military regime, Camiroaga supported the ''
Concertación
The Concertación, officially the Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia (; ), was a coalition of center-left political parties in Chile, founded in 1988. Presidential candidates under its banner won every election from when military rul ...
'' coalition of
left-wing
Left-wing politics describes the range of Ideology#Political ideologies, political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social ...
parties since
Chile became a democracy;
in 2008 he said he was a "Bacheletist" ("bacheletista") —supporter of President of Chile Michelle Bachelet— in the ''Caras'' magazine, and in 2009 he said Chile was admired for the governments of such a coalition. In 2010 he joined the runoff campaign of
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
Eduardo Alfredo Juan Bernardo Frei Ruiz–Tagle (; born 24 June 1942) is a Chilean politician and civil engineering, civil engineer who served as president of Chile from 1994 to 2000. He was also a Senate of Chile, Senator, fulfilling the role of ...
, the ''
Concertación
The Concertación, officially the Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia (; ), was a coalition of center-left political parties in Chile, founded in 1988. Presidential candidates under its banner won every election from when military rul ...
'' candidate for the
Chilean presidential election. Frei said Camiroaga was a "very brave man" for publicly expressing his political views.
Camiroaga also participated in campaigns by
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
; he openly asked Chile's Interior Minister
Rodrigo Hinzpeter
Rodrigo Javier Hinzpeter Kirberg (born 27 October 1965) is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He was one of the founders of National Renewal, a center-right political party. He was appointed Interior Minister on 11 March 2010 by President of Chile ...
on ''Buenos Días a Todos'' for the government, led by
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique (; 1 December 1949 – 6 February 2024) was a Chilean businessman and politician who served as President of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022. The son of a Christian Democratic Party (C ...
, to halt the installation of a thermoelectric plant in
Caleta Punta Choros—which was later reversed— and supported the
2011 student movement in Chile.
Due to his frequent social and political activism, his death has often been the subject of numerous
conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
...
concerning the Chilean government's alleged involvement in his death. Just a couple of days before the accident which led to his death, Camiroaga's home in
Chicureo
Chicureo (from Mapudungun ''chikümn rewe'' 'place where lances are set up') is a city located in Colina, an urban-suburban commune of Chile, Chacabuco Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region. In 2017 it had a population of 10,975 inhabitants.
P ...
had caught fire, which the Brigade of Special Investigations assured was "intentional",
which has often been cited as "proof" for the supposed killing.
Filmography
;As a television presenter
;As an actor in movies
;As an actor in TV series
;As an actor (other appearances)
Discography
* 2003: ''La Banda del Pase lo que Pase'' (with Karen Doggenweiler;
gold
Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
in Chile)
Awards and recognitions
* 2006: Great ''Compipa'' of the Guachacas; Guachaca King.
* 2006–2011 (posthumously):
Copihue de Oro Award to "Best TV Presenter".
* 2009:
** APES Award to "Best TV presenter".
** (and 2011, posthumously)
TV Grama
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ente ...
Award to "Best TV Presenter".
* 2011: Social Communicator Special Award, given by the
National Council of Television.
References
External links
*
Felipe Camiroagaon Televisión Nacional de Chile's website
Felipe Camiroagaon Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Camiroaga, Felipe
1966 births
2011 deaths
Chilean male television actors
Chilean television presenters
Chilean television personalities
21st-century Chilean male singers
Chilean people of Basque descent
Chilean people of German descent
Chilean people of Peruvian descent
Male actors from Santiago, Chile
Chilean male comedians
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Chile
Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 2011