At 60, Venezuelan-born writer and presenter Boris Izaguirre has spoken publicly about the violence and discrimination he says he endured as a child in Caracas, including bullying at school and the lasting effects of dyslexia. His account links those experiences to the support of his mother, Belén Lobo, and to the confidence he later brought to a career across television, journalism and literature.
Izaguirre has recalled that his mannerisms made him a target for classmates and strangers, who subjected him to insults and physical aggression. He has also described dyslexia as a impressive childhood difficulty that affected his progress with reading and everyday tasks. Lobo, a dancer and writer, worked with him and encouraged him to value his identity despite others’ judgments. Recalling his childhood in Caracas, he told El Español: “I spent my childhood afternoons watching telenovelas. I didn’t want to play football.”
In recounting his adolescence, Izaguirre has described a group assault when he was 13 and the lasting trauma that followed. He says he kept the experience private for decades, and that his mother’s response helped him move forward without letting the violence define his identity or relationships. Family support, he says, was basic to making sense of what happened.
Lobo defended her son’s freedom to express himself and gave him room to develop without fear of correction or judgment. She married Rodolfo Izaguirre, the Venezuelan writer and film critic, in 1964; Boris was born the following year. After Lobo’s death in 2014, Boris and his father grew closer. Boris is one of three siblings. His sister Valentina is a designer and art director, while his brother Rhazil works in the arts.
Izaguirre began writing for the Venezuelan press at 16 and went on to write telenovela scripts, including for Rubí rebelde and La dama de rosa. He later moved to Spain, where his television career expanded. His appearances on Telecinco’s Crónicas marcianas made him widely recognizable to Spanish audiences. His television work has also included Channel nº4, Prodigios and Lazos de sangre.
His literary work includes Azul petróleo, Y de repente el amor, Un jardín al norte and the autobiographical Tiempo de tormentas. His novel Villa Diamante was a finalist for the Premio Planeta in 2007. His work across television and screenwriting has extended to novels and memoir, giving his public identity a reach beyond television alone.
Conversations about diversity, trauma and ability to recover are increasingly visible in Spain’s public life. Coverage of events and festivals also reflects the country’s ongoing negotiation between tradition and change. The San Fermín festival in Pamplona, for example, recently highlighted both the risks and enduring traditions that shape Spanish society. Izaguirre’s decision to speak about painful parts of his past brings a personal dimension to wider discussions of identity and acceptance.
Born and raised in Caracas, Izaguirre has often linked his childhood memories to the person and public figure he became. In his account, family support helped him make sense of his experiences and build a long career in media and literature while speaking openly about adversity.
