The Spanish film industry continues to mourn the untimely passing of 42-year-old actress Verónica Echegui. A week after the tragic news, her former partner, actor Álex García, broke his silence, publishing a poignant open letter. In it, he shared his feelings and memories of the woman with whom he spent thirteen years of his life.
In his message, 43-year-old García, who had previously remained reserved, spoke about the profound impact Echegui’s passing had on the entire country. According to him, she had to leave so that a “wave of love” could sweep across Spain. The letter opens with the Romanian phrase “Fara frica!”, meaning “without fear.” The actor recalls that their relationship was always surrounded by a special atmosphere, because “love attracts love, and that’s how it always was with you.” He describes Echegui not just as an actress, but as a “channel” and a “voice for sleeping hearts,” who could embody any role—be it Italian, Murcian, or Catalan—making each character’s roots her own.
García affectionately called her ‘dragonfly’ (libélula) and recalled how she once told him she didn’t understand why there was so much suffering at funerals in Spain, instead of celebrating the life of the person who had passed away. The actor admits that, despite this, his eyes ‘cried a lot in recent days.’ However, he says that in the end, he was able to see Verónica ‘flying free and happy, finally dancing in freedom,’ as they had often discussed. He ends his message with a promise to follow her legacy: ‘Without fear, barefoot, and with love.’
The romance between Álex García and Verónica Echegui began while filming the movie ‘Six Points About Emma’ (Seis puntos sobre Emma), directed by Roberto Pérez Toledo. In the film, Echegui played a blind woman dreaming of becoming a mother, while García portrayed a candidate to become the father of her child. Their relationship, which lasted until 2022, was always marked by modesty and a reluctance to put their private lives on display. One of the rare public expressions of their feelings was when Echegui received the Goya Award for her short film ‘Totem She-Wolf’ (Tótem Loba). From the stage, she thanked Álex, the film’s co-producer, for always being there for her. Although the couple separated three years ago, they shared a deep and warm bond, which was reflected in the farewell letter.
In closing his address, García expressed one last wish: he hopes that the ‘wave of love’ caused by Verónica’s passing will turn into a ‘tsunami’ strong enough to drown out all the bad news in the world, calm condemnation, and uplift the sorrowful faces of people in these difficult times.
