30/06/2026 04:36 - Entretenimiento
On Sunday, June 29, 2026, Argentine actor Diego Ramos called into the television program "La mañana con Moria" (Eltrece) to share an intimate and heartbreaking moment he witnessed during Ernestina Pais' wake. Ramos, who co-starred with the renowned host in the theater production "El divorcio del año" ("Divorce of the Year"), revealed the words Milka Truol, Ernestina's mother, spoke during the farewell.
"I don't know if I'm breaking their privacy, but her mother said yesterday: 'Who will they cast? She had such powerful energy. They need someone who matches that'," Ramos recounted, visibly moved. The phrase, spoken in the midst of grief, reflected how even in such a painful moment, the family thought about the artistic legacy Ernestina left on stage.
Ernestina Pais passed away on Friday, June 26, 2026 at 54 years old after being struck by a coastal train (Tren de la Costa) at a railway crossing in San Isidro, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires. The accident occurred at the intersection of Sáenz Peña and El Cano streets while she was driving to the Teatro Niní Marshall in Tigre for a performance.
A witness at a nearby workshop was the first to reach her vehicle after hearing the crash. According to his account, the actress was reclined on the passenger seat and uttered her final words: "Don't touch me, don't touch me" ("No me toquen"). She then took a few breaths and stopped breathing.
Journalist Ángel de Brito revealed that Ernestina's mobile phone was thrown from the vehicle and landed beside the tracks. While bystanders tried to assist her, the phone kept ringing.
José María Muscari, the play's director, was calling desperately, unaware of what had happened. Hours later, the director bid her farewell on social media: "Goodbye Ernes. May you be happy in your eternity. I say goodbye to you this way, happy and acting".
Ramos reconstructed the agonizing minutes the cast experienced that evening. Ernestina was known for her punctuality, and when her usual arrival time passed without her showing up, concern began to mount. "One arrives an hour before the performance at 8 PM. She was very punctual, and by 8:30 she hadn't arrived," he explained.
A journalist contacted Muscari asking about an accident involving Pais. From that moment, the cast tried to gather information through every possible means. They called Benicio Guyot (Ernestina's son, 22), who confirmed there was police at their home.
With the theater ready to receive the audience, Ramos had to step onto the stage to announce the show's cancellation: "I prayed no one would ask me anything and no one would get angry. Fortunately, they understood".
Ramos made sure to debunk a rumor that circulated after the accident: that Ernestina was running late and therefore might have crossed the tracks hastily. "Ernestina wasn't running late. She was very punctual, and it was a theater close to her home", the actor emphasized.
Regarding Ernestina's emotional state, Ramos highlighted: "I joined very recently as a replacement, and I saw her looking happily at her fellow actors. Very present, she was truly happy and fulfilled". He also praised her courage for speaking publicly about her battle with alcoholism: "She was a fighter, she wanted to convey a message".
Ernestina Pais was a well-known Argentine television host and actress, daughter of legendary broadcaster César Mascetti and Milka Truol. She came from a prominent media family in Argentina and was recognized for her charismatic presence on screen and stage.
Her son Benicio Guyot (22 years old) is from her relationship with musician Christian Guyot. She was also the sister of Federica Pais, another well-known media personality.
The Tren de la Costa (Coastal Train) is a tourist railway line that runs along the northern suburbs of Buenos Aires, connecting various municipalities including San Isidro and Tigre.
The wake was held on Saturday, June 28, 2026 at the Sala Alessandria (Av. Córdoba 5084, Buenos Aires) from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM. The burial took place at the Panteón de Actores (Actors' Pantheon) in Chacarita Cemetery, the traditional burial site for Argentine performing artists.
Among the notable attendees were Romina Gaetani, José María Muscari, Gastón Pauls, Federica Pais (her sister), Mario Pergolini, and Rocío Igarzábal.
Guillermina Valdés, who had developed a close bond with Benicio during the play "El divorcio del año", met him at a hair salon hours before the accident. She chose to accompany him privately and did not attend the public wake.
Alfredo S. Quiroga
