Gestoso – Sr Correspondent @ CNN en Español – Washington, D.C.

Award winning CNN veteran Jorge Gestoso has been named senior correspondent in the Washington, D.C. bureau for CNN en Español. The announcement was made today by Christopher Crommett, executive vice president and general manager of CNN en Español. Gestoso’s new responsibilities will be effective March 3. He most recently held the position of senior anchor and presented Panorama Mundial con Jorge Gestoso.

“After 15 years behind the anchor desk in Atlanta, I was ready for a change that would allow me to devote myself to my greatest passion: covering the news directly,” said Gestoso. “In the current news climate, crucial geopolitical decisions are being made in Washington,” he added. “As a journalist, I am energized at the prospect of rolling up my sleeves, witnessing and reporting history as it occurs from a new perspective – on the ground, at the heart of where things are happening. This is a great opportunity to take on a new professional challenge, and I look forward to serving our audience in a different way.”

“We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about having Jorge take on this pivotal new role,” added Crommett. “The Washington beat is of global news significance. Given his stature, experience, professionalism and inexhaustible dedication to getting the story, this is a perfect fit. Although it is unusual for anchors to make the jump from the studio to the field, Jorge has always been passionate about reporting and we look forward to this new chapter in his distinguished career.”

With Gestoso’s move to Washington, Senior Anchor and Advisor to the General Manager Patricia Janiot will take over anchoring CNN en Español’s prime-time news line up. Janiot will also continue to co-anchor Las Noticias and the award-winning newscast the network produces specifically for Mexican viewers, Noticias México. Daniel Viotto, anchor of Encuentro con Daniel Viotto and Directo desde EE.UU., will replace Gestoso as co-presenter of Las Noticias. Glenda Umaña, anchor of Mirador Mundial on the weekends, will move to daytime Monday to Friday, and Carlos Montero will continue to present Primera Edición in the mornings.

Gestoso was recently honored with an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University award, one of the most prestigious journalistic honors in the United States. The duPont Silver Baton Award was given for outstanding investigative reporting in Jorge Gestoso Investiga: La Doble Desaparecida (“Jorge Gestoso Investigates: The Woman who was Disappeared Twice”), marking the first time a non-English language program has been recognized for this honor.

Gestoso was recently awarded a Spanish-language Television Industry Award (INTE) for “Best Male News Personality.” He has won additional broadcasting awards including “Most Outstanding Male Anchor” from the Association of Hispanic Critics of New York; a special Tabaré award for excellence in journalism; the Jean Cartier Award; and was named “Best Anchor on Spanish-language Television” from the three major Hispanic critics organizations in the United States.

Gestoso has covered important world news events for the network, including on-site reporting in Washington on the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. He also covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Pope’s historic trip to Cuba, and key stages of the Middle East peace process in Madrid and Washington. Gestoso presented special coverage of the Gulf War from Atlanta and has also reported from several war and conflict zones including Kosovo, Chechnya, Bosnia, Haiti and the border between Ecuador and Peru. He has covered major presidential summits in Latin America and in the process has interviewed most of Latin America’s presidents and major leaders, including recent news-making interviews with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, Gestoso attended the University of Uruguay. He is fluent in Spanish, English and French.