Andy Kusnetzoff tears up in heartbreaking farewell to Ernestina Pais: 'She was one of us'

The death of Ernestina Pais last Friday, at age 54, in a road accident, shook the foundations of the Argentine artistic and journalistic scene. But one message, among many, drew all eyes: that of Andy Kusnetzoff. The host of Perros de la calle held nothing back and, in a lengthy post on his social media, laid bare the pain he is going through.

“Ernest. There are deaths that you understand. Or at least try to understand. And there are others that leave you in shock, staring at a fixed point, not really knowing what to say. Ernestina’s death hit me like that,” Andy began, without beating around the bush. And then he shared the story: “We met in school. We were kids. Then life did what life does: each took their own path, built their career, their stories, their loves, their messes, their successes and their pains.”

But what truly moved people was when he described the bond that united them: “There are people with whom you never completely lose the thread. Because they are your people. And Ernestina was one of us. She was from that world that so many of us shared: the same school, the same generation, the humor, the nights, the chats, the radio, Metro, CQC, mutual friends, mothers, grandmothers, the codes of an era.”

Kusnetzoff didn’t mince words and confessed that the news left him reeling: “That’s why it hurts so much. Because she wasn’t a name on a portal. She was someone you felt close to, even though you hadn’t seen her in a while. Like all of us, she had her battles. Who doesn’t? But no one, truly no one, imagines an end like this.”

In another part, the host got philosophical: “And on top of that, life keeps going on around us. The other day we were here, trying to understand and help, even if just through the radio, our compatriots in Venezuela. And it was already hard to process all that while still talking about the World Cup, football, life that doesn’t stop.”

The post went viral within minutes, with thousands of hearts and comments highlighting Pais’s indelible mark on Argentine media. But Andy didn’t stop there: “And then I realized something: every day things happen. Every day there is someone celebrating something and someone saying goodbye to someone. Every day we use the phrase ‘life goes on.’ And it’s true that life goes on. And the brain can’t process it. Because, besides, Ernestina was one of those people who somehow act as a mirror, because of the way she understood what we do, the media, TV, radio, humor. And I think that, in another path, I could have been her and she could have been me. And maybe that’s why it affects me so much.”

The ending was devastating: “There are days when you feel that time is starting to speed up. That suddenly it’s no longer the parents of our friends who are leaving, but our friends, our generation, the people we grew up with. And I’d like to do something, but I don’t know what to do. And I wanted to say something, but I don’t know what else to say. So I think the best thing is to put on a nice song. And accept. And let go.”

Kusnetzoff’s farewell joins a flood of tributes Pais received, but few as personal and heartbreaking as that of her childhood friend. Meanwhile, the host continues to lead his show, where just a few weeks ago he also experienced a moment of shock when reacting live to the false news of Indio Solari’s death. On that occasion, amid confusion and dismay, Andy had said: “As communicators, I think it’s also good to share what happens to us. The truth is we were impacted.”

The departure of Ernestina Pais has left a huge void, and Andy Kusnetzoff’s words are a reflection of a pain that transcends the professional. A friendship that began in the school hallways and that, despite time and separate paths, was never completely lost.

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