Cristina María Saralegui de Ávila

A journalist with more than 30 years of experience, she is recognized today by her colleagues as a symbol of the modern woman. Determined, practical and tenacious, she has achieved success thanks to these qualities and to the boldness and vision that have led her to set precedents throughout her professional life.

According to a recent survey* by People en Español magazine, CRISTINA is for the Hispanic population of the United States, the most trustworthy television personality, followed by Oprah Winfrey, Jorge Ramos, Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, in that order.

She was born in Havana and grew up under the image of the patriarch of the family: her grandfather, Don Francisco Saralegui, known as "the paper czar" in Latin America, co-owner of the magazines Bohemia, Carteles, and Vanidades. He was the one who introduced her to journalism.

She left Cuba with her family in 1960, at the age of 11, to begin a new life among Cuban exiles in Miami. She attended the University of Miami, where she studied Journalism and Communications, while at the same time working as an intern at Vanidades, the #1 women's magazine in Latin America.

In 1979, when she was working with three of the most successful magazines in Latin America, she was named Director of Cosmopolitan en Español, a magazine that circulates throughout Latin America, as well as the United States. She held that position for 10 years, which she resigned from to become the executive producer and host of El Show de Cristina.

In 1989, her program El Show de Cristina premiered on Univisión, the first Spanish-language network in the nation. After 12 years of production, 10 Emmys and more than 3,000 episodes, El Show de Cristina remains the most impactful talk program throughout the entire Spanish-speaking world with a reach of 100 million viewers in the United States, Latin America and Europe.

CRISTINA's popularity extends to print media and broadcasting. CRISTINA is the executive director of Cristina La Revista, a monthly publication edited in Miami in association with Editorial Televisa. The magazine is also distributed in Latin America and the United States. "I have always considered my work in journalism as an instrument to motivate my people," says CRISTINA, "I want to try to improve their lives by helping them through my messages to become more productive members of society. Cristina La Revista contributes enormously to the achievement of these goals, as it gives me the opportunity to explore in depth many issues that I cannot delve into on television, due to the time limitations that this medium imposes."

Cristina Opina, her daily radio program, is heard in the United States on RadioUnica, the first and only radio network that broadcasts in Spanish 24 hours a day; and in Latin America through stations affiliated with the ABC International radio network.

The Arriba La Vida/Up With Life Foundation was established in 1996 by CRISTINA and Marcos Avila (her husband). "We created the foundation to provide information, medicine and support to people affected with AIDS," said CRISTINA. AmFar, the American Foundation for AIDS Research deals mainly with the search for an AIDS cure.

At the end of 2010 Cristina announced the end of the Show de Cristina program to dedicate herself more to other tasks, this announcement shocked Spanish-speaking viewers in the United States.

In 2021 she reappears at age 73 with her emblematic program "El Show de Cristina" now via streaming on TV Prendes, a channel sponsored by Univisión.