Overview
- Cadena's death was confirmed Tuesday by the Col·legi de Periodistes de Catalunya; regional outlets reported he was 90.
- He signed the legal paperwork that enabled the launch of Avui in 1976 and served as the paper's subdirector until 1979, helping restore Catalan‑language general news after the Franco era.
- Cadena joined El Periódico in 1984 and spent about 25 years there as a cultural and art critic, where he championed editorial independence and cultural coverage.
- A trained journalist from the Escuela Oficial de Periodismo de Madrid, he began his career at Agencia EFE and Diario de Barcelona and later authored more than 70 books on art, press history and Catalan culture.
- His work won major honors including the Creu de Sant Jordi and the Premi Nacional de Cultura, and his death is prompting tributes that underline his role in strengthening Catalan media institutions and cultural memory.