Eloy O. Aguilar

MEXICO CITY - Eloy O. Aguilar, an award-winning Associated Press bureau chief who mentored a generation of journalists in Mexico and Central America as he covered civil wars, disasters and political upheaval, collapsed and died Friday. He was 72. Aguilar was the face of AP in much of Latin America for more than a quarter-century, enthusiastically leading efforts for press freedom and the improvement of journalistic standards in both English and Spanish. His wisdom and his generosity kept many journalists safe amid dangerous guerrilla warfare in the 1980s in Central America. "Eloy embodied the very best of the AP, leading by example with hard work, impeccable journalism and unflagging kindness," said Tom Curley, AP's president and chief executive. "He was a beloved colleague who will be missed." When a devastating earthquake hit Mexico City in 1985 and destroyed the AP office, Aguilar set up a command center in his damaged apartment. With one working phone, he sent reporters and photographers into the streets, then chartered a Learjet to deliver a computer full of stories and a bag full of film to Texas, giving the world the first comprehensive account of the disaster that killed some 10,000 people. Aguilar was legendary for getting the news out. In Nicaragua, he convinced a 20-something government censor that AP stories - unlike others - didn't need to be checked. In El Salvador, days after the military expelled him, Aguilar returned and persuaded an officer - over a bottle of whiskey - to reconsider. When the United States invaded Panama in 1989, Aguilar had gotten a tip from a military source and was in place to alert the first bombs falling from a pay phone. An editor asked Aguilar what the source was; he held up the phone so the explosions could be heard. Born Jan. 5, 1937, on the banks of the Rio Grande, Aguilar was a product of the U.S.-Mexico border. He grew up in Texas and began his journalism career at the Brownsville Herald in the late 1950s after serving in the U.S. Army. Aguilar traveled to Venezuela in 1961 to work for the Caracas Daily Journal and string for U.S. publications, and joined the AP there in 1965. He transferred to Puerto Rico a year later, then to Mexico in 1969. In 1972 he transferred to Dallas, rising to state editor while earning his master's degree in Hispanic Studies from the University of Dallas. In 1977, Aguilar returned to Puerto Rico as Chief of Caribbean Services, covering coups in the Dominican Republic, the debate over Puerto Rican statehood and a rebellion in tiny Aguila, population 6,000. In 1979, he returned to Mexico City as bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and Panama, a position he held for more than 25 years before retiring. One of his key accomplishments was helping to negotiate the reopening of the AP's Havana bureau in early 1999 after a three-decade absense. In 2000, Aguilar received Columbia University's Maria Moors Cabot Prize, the oldest international award in journalism, in recognition of a lifetime of contributions to inter-American understanding. He wrote in both Spanish and English and switched effortlessly between Latin American and U.S. cultures. "I worked more than 40 years for the AP," Aguilar told a packed banquet hall celebrating his retirement in 2006. "I love this company for what it represents professionally and for the sense of camaraderie among my colleagues that always made you do your best." But Aguilar couldn't stay still for long, and in recent years directed the news agency of the Mexican newspaper El Universal. Known for his thick mustache and mischievous grin - often accompanied by a salty tale - Aguilar loved encouraging young journalists and mentored scores of them, many of whom went on to become Latin American publishers and AP managers. Aguilar died while on his way to address a conference of U.S. journalism school deans, when he collapsed and hit his head. "Eloy is a journalistic legend whose values and principles should nurture reporters forever," said Edgar Fonseca, director of the Costa Rican newspaper Al Dia. Aguilar is survived by his wife Lisette Carrasco, his son Edwin and his granddaughter Citlali. He was preceded in death by another son, Victor. He is to be buried in McAllen, Texas, a border town he called "The Holy City."