Eliud Treviño, prominent Hispanic leader and pioneering journalist in Nashville area, dies

Nashville area community leader Eliud Treviño, noted Spanish-language newspaper publisher, radio broadcaster and advocate, died Monday at the age of 77.

The cause of death was COVID.

Treviño was the president and publisher of El Crucero de Tennessee and founder and host of WNQM-1300 AM Radio Melodías.

He grew up in Odessa, Texas and moved to Middle Tennessee in the 1990s where he became prominent among Hispanic leaders in the area, according to the Nashville Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

He served as a mentor and adviser to Latino business, nonprofit and political leaders and the community at large.

Tennessee's Latino community increased substantially over the decades and the 2020 Census showed that Hispanics grew by 65% from 2010 to 2020 — rising from 4.6% to nearly 7% of the state population. During that same time period, Latinos grew from 10% to nearly 14% of Nashville's population.

Numerous notable residents posted their tributes to Treviño on social media channels in both English and Spanish.

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"Nashville's community has lost a pillar," wrote the city's Mayor John Cooper. "Sad to hear about the passing of Eliud Treviño. Eliud was the founder of El Crucero de Tennessee. My condolences to his family, friends and colleagues."

Metro Council Member Sandra Sepúlveda wrote: "A pillar in the Hispanic community has passed away. Eluid Trevino, founder of El Crucero de Tennessee, has died. Today we remember his long legacy and commitment to news in our community."

Diane Janbakhsh, founder of the Plaza Mariachi community and entertainment center on Nolensville Pike, wrote: "(Treviño) has been a pioneer, pillar, and friend in the Hispanic Community. I’ve known him since I was a little girl and always knew him to be a good man and someone who worked hard for the progress in our community. He was loved and respected greatly. He will be missed. May he Rest In Peace. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family."

Fabian Bedne, the first Latino immigrant elected to the Metro Council, wrote: "Every long time Latino in Middle TN knew Eliud Trevino , many non Latinos knew him as well. He was always a good friend, always available and ready to help. He made his mark in the region and won't be forgotten"

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Immigration attorney Mario Ramos wrote: "My friend Eliud Treviño passed away; I remember when I met him for the first time in 1994. He was a good man with a kind heart who never stopped helping the community. Eliud will be missed by all; rest in peace"

The Nashville Area Hispanic Area Chamber of Commerce awarded Treviño its Media Excellence and "Ganas" in Entrepreneurship Awards in 2006 and 2019, respectively.

A celebration of life is being planned for this weekend, according to his son Eli Treviño.

David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters.. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Eliud Treviño dead from COVID: Hispanic leader, El Crucero publisher