On Feb. 21, 2026, I marked my second anniversary at the helm of Sol del Valle. I never imagined that this same moment would also mark the beginning of a farewell.
Today I write these words with a knot in my throat and many mixed emotions.
Alongside that anniversary came difficult news and an even more difficult decision. My family is beginning a new chapter, and with it come new horizons.
Trading my beloved Valley for the deserts of Arizona has been a difficult decision. But there is a coincidence that I like to think is not merely a coincidence: I will be leaving Sol del Valle to move to the Valley of the Sun.
Two years ago, I was given the opportunity and the trust to take the reins of Sol del Valle. To be completely honest, I had no idea what this challenge would bring into my life. Today, with deep gratitude, I can say it has been a chapter that will mark me for life.
Sol del Valle began with the intention of bringing our community a newspaper in Spanish. In its early days, it was just four pages within The Sopris Sun. Thanks to the initiative of my dear friend and colleague Raleigh Burleigh, outgoing editor of The Sopris Sun, a project was born that is now approaching its fifth anniversary.
By the time I arrived, the project had already grown. It was handed to me as a 16-page insert within Aspen Daily News and a four-page insert within The Sopris Sun, in addition to its independent publication. Over time, Sol del Valle came to be published by The Sopris Sun as an independent newspaper.
Not long ago, I heard someone say that Sol del Valle is one of the most complete newspapers in the region. I believe that is thanks to the collaborations we have built with other media outlets in our valley.
Through the CoWest Noticias Collaborative — which brings together Aspen Daily News, Aspen Public Radio, The Aspen Times, Post Independent, Radio La Tricolor, KDNK Community Radio and The Sopris Sun, our publisher — we have been able to share resources, stories and perspectives. This collaboration has allowed us to strengthen something fundamental: ensuring that our community has access to information in Spanish.
A few days ago, during an interview, I was asked about the importance of collaboration between news organizations. After thinking about it for a moment, I responded that although there is healthy competition to publish first or tell the best story, there is something even greater: our commitment to the community.
Over these two years, I learned something very clear: Sol del Valle is not just a newspaper. It is an ongoing conversation with our community.
From the beginning, my goal as editor was clear: that Sol del Valle truly reflected the diversity of our community.
During this time, alongside my colleagues Margarita Alvarez and Ingrid Zúniga, our contributors and with the support of our advisory board — Carlos Ramos, Gladys Arango-Marcon, Klaus Kocher, Martha Elena Márquez, Raleigh Burleigh and Rosa Santiago — we worked to build a newspaper that connects our two valleys, the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys.
A newspaper that shares the stories of our community leaders, informs readers about the issues that impact our daily lives, celebrates our events and reflects the heart of our communities, Sol del Valle is, and always will be, a special newspaper.
Today I say farewell and “see you again,” with the hope and faith that this newspaper will continue to be present in our valley, week after week.
This is not a goodbye — it is a see you soon. Because I know we will meet again — perhaps through a poem in the Rincón de la Creatividad, in a column or in a story that still carries my byline.
In June, I leave the valley I love so dearly to begin a new chapter in the Valley of the Sun.
But a part of my heart will always remain here — in every story, every page and every voice that makes Sol del Valle possible.
To the future editor of Sol del Valle
I leave in your hands one of the most treasured projects of our valley.
For me, Sol del Valle has been an extraordinary opportunity — not only professionally, but also personally and as a mother. With a strong interest in communication and a degree in psychology, I had the chance to step into the world of journalism and fall in love with it every day.
Our mission states it clearly: To provide a reliable and growing source of information in Spanish that supports and strengthens the health, impact and well-being of the diverse Latino community from Parachute to Aspen.
But Sol del Valle is more than that. It is a space for the Spanish language — so beautiful and so diverse; a place for reliable information about our valley and this region of Colorado and also a corner where culture, the arts and knowledge come together.
This newspaper has become something special thanks to the support of our community and the local media organizations that believe in it. Above all, because it reflects an admirable community, a community that always knows how to look out and care for each other.
If you decide to take Sol del Valle to its next level — with new stories, new voices and new ideas — always remember something important: This newspaper belongs to the community that reads it. Care for it, listen and allow yourself to be guided by it.
Because in the end, Sol del Valle has always been, and will always be, a reflection of our people.