Journalist Oscar López Reyes recounts 50 years of presidential interactions

Journalist Oscar López Reyes reflects on his 50-year career interacting with 14 presidents, emphasizing the importance of professional ethics, democracy, and independence from political and economic power.

In his recollections regarding Joaquín Balaguer, Reyes notes that during Balaguer’s 1966–1978 administration, several journalists were killed. During that period, accessing the president required timing interactions around specific events, such as meetings of the National Development Commission or public works inaugurations. In 1973, Balaguer began holding weekly Thursday morning press conferences where questions were required in advance, often leading to heated responses from the president.

During Balaguer’s subsequent decade in power from 1986 to 1996, Reyes observes that the president became more receptive to the press, noting that he interviewed Balaguer at least once a week during the president's evening walks.