María Alejandra Requena has been promoted to anchor of CNN en Español’s signature weekday 4 pm ET newscast “Panorama Mundial.”
She’ll be taking over the spot left vacant by Patricia Janiot, who left the cable network in November 2017 after almost 26 years to join Univision. Since her departure, the network had been rotating fill-in anchors.
Requena will also contribute to “Realidades en Contexto,” “Encuentro” and “Portafolio Global.”
She joined CNN in 2012 as a host for Magazine CNN, a show that was part of CNN Latino, the cable network’s failed attempt at producing a syndicated U.S. Hispanic programming on independent stations across the country that barely lasted a year before it was shut down.
A co-host of morning show Café CNN for the past three years, Requena previously worked in Miami as anchor of “Mega News” and also co-hosted Mega TV shows “De Frente” and “Paparazzi Magazine.”
She began her journalism career in Venezuela, where she participated in several television and radio shows.
Requena starts her new role Monday, September 17.
That’s the same day Jennifer Montoya moves into the slot left open by Requena as co-host of Café CNN at 6 am ET, alongside Alejandra Oraa, Elizabeth Pérez, Samuel Burke and Marisa Azaret.
Montoya arrives to CNNE from Los Angeles, where she spent less than a year as a news anchor for Estrella TV’s KRCA channel 62.
Before that, she worked in her native Colombia for over 10 years in multiple roles, including noon and primetime weekend news anchor for “Noticias Caracol” and lead anchor for “Última Edición.” She also hosted two national political affairs shows, “Análisis Mundial” on the Cablenoticias Network and “Una Mirada al Mundo” for Caracol Internacional.
Montoya was previously the Editor-in-Chief of digital magazine Política Crítica and worked at Blu Radio as a Bogotá correspondent.