Carlos Otero

Carlos Otero is a Cuban presenter and host born on June 16, 1958, in Havana, Cuba.

Otero is regarded by the Cuban public as one of the best hosts and entertainers of all time. His versatility as a host, interviewer, presenter, and even actor in humorous shows made him a fixture in the most popular entertainment programs on Cuban television, turning him into its star presenter during his 30-year career in Cuba.

As he has acknowledged on several occasions, he forged his own style inspired by the greats of Cuban broadcasting Germán Pinelli, Cepero Brito, and Consuelito Vidal.

Biography

In 1978, he debuted as one of the 9 hosts of the show "Para Bailar," which aired every Sunday on television and from which important presenters and actors emerged, such as Lily Rentería, Mara Roque, Albertico Pujol, Rebeca Martínez, and Néstor Jiménez. Para Bailar was on the air until 1983, and thanks to the professionalism of its participants and the charisma of its presenters, it became one of the most successful participatory programs of its kind, serving as a reference for later shows like Bailando en Cuba.

But perhaps it is "Sabadazo" by director and screenwriter Julio Pulido, the program by which Cubans best remember Carlos Otero. On July 4, 1993, during the toughest years of the Special Period, Cuban television brought together a group of comedians, under Otero's prominent hosting, in its prime time Saturday night slot; these comedians would become known as the best of the 90s on the island. The show enjoyed great acceptance and popularity among an audience who, overwhelmed by economic hardships, awaited that hour of entertainment each Saturday. Ulises Toirac, Orlando Doimeadios, Bongó Quiñongo, Geonel Martín (Gustavito), who debuted as a comedian on the program, Ángel García Mesa (Antolín el Pichón), among other figures, passed through Sabadazo and are now essential when talking about Cuban Humor.

Carlos Otero left the hosting of the program in early 1996 because he understood that the television show needed a change that never came.

Initially, Carlos Otero was chosen in 1998 to host the 23 y M program, but he left the project after 3 months and it was taken over by Edith Massola.

In 2007, he returned to host a highly-rated primetime program "Con Carlos y Punto," in which he once again combined humor with interviews and music. That same year, he made an appearance on the comedy show "Jura decir la verdad" by Ulises Toirac. The show was interrupted and taken off the air because, at the time of its broadcast, the news of his arrival in the United States was already known.

Otero emigrated to Miami via Canada with his two children and his wife in December 2007. His arrival and reception were televised. A few days before, he had been awarded the Animator of the Year prize in Cuba.

Upon his arrival, he granted several interviews on various programs and signed with AmericaTeVe Canal 41. True to his hosting style, he has been presenting the TN3 program on this network for several years alongside his co-host, the Venezuelan Mónica Pasqualotto. Throughout these years, he has been able to reconnect with figures from the island who have visited the city of exile.

In December 2014, he reunited live on América TV with part of the cast of Sabadazo.

Both on his own show TN3 and on his Facebook and Instagram profiles, he expresses his opinions against the Cuban government's policies and denounces the situation in which the people of the island live.

Otero has been emotionally linked for 7 years to the Cuban singer Haniset Rodríguez, with whom he also shares the stage.