Augusto Góngora
Augusto Góngora (January 2, 1952 – May 19, 2023) was a Chilean journalist, filmmaker and television presenter. He studied journalism at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. During Chile’s military dictatorship, he worked for independent media opposing the regime. In 1976 he edited Solidaridad, and he hosted Teleanálisis, a news program that tried to bypass censorship. He later became editor (1984–1986) and then director (1986–1989) of Teleanálisis.
When Chile returned to democracy in 1990, Góngora joined Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN). He produced and hosted cultural programs, including Cine Video, and became TVN’s cultural editor in 1993, a role he held until 2010. He created and hosted El Mirador (1991–2004) about social issues and El Show de los Libros (1992–2002) about Chilean literature. He also hosted Coyote and Hora 25, and he served as executive producer on La Recta Provincia and Litoral. He did acting work in La Recta Provincia and hosted radio Concert Enfoque on Radio Concierto.
After leaving TVN in 2010, Góngora served on TVN’s board from 2016 to 2017, resigning for health reasons. He also taught at several Chilean universities.
Góngora was first married to Patricia Neut, with whom he had two children. He later married actress Paulina Urrutia in 2016. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2014. His health declined, and he died on May 19, 2023, at age 71. He is buried in Parque del Recuerdo in Santiago.
In 2023, the documentary The Eternal Memory about Góngora and his wife’s life during his illness premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It was directed by Maite Alberdi, received critical acclaim, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:17 (CET).