2023-07-14 21:53:32
“The history of the Union of Cuban Journalists is an inseparable part of the struggles of the Cuban people, from which it was born and to which it is due. It is impossible to talk about the history of this land, the emergence of a national, patriotic, and social justice conscience, without talking about the history of journalism and its most exalted representatives,” said Ricardo Ronquillo Bello, national president of UPEC in the central national act for the 60 years of the organization.
At the ceremony at the Martí theater in the capital, led, among other senior leaders of the Revolution, by Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the Council of State and the National Assembly of Popular Power, Ronquillo pointed out that the current generation of Cuban journalists is heir to a tradition that began with Father Félix Varela and continued, in honorable succession, with the Apostle, Juan Gualberto Gómez, Julio Antonio Mella, Pablo de la Torriente Brau, Ernesto Guevara and Fidel Castro.
Together with the historical review and the balance of missions, the president of UPEC acknowledged before hundreds of colleagues from various generations, that “the new journalism that the founders made us golden is still an unfinished cause against secrecy, the need to promote transparency and accountability in public management, socially healthy debate and criticism, which should have their natural environment in socialism”.
“We do not have the right to fail ourselves, or to fail those people, or those who on the continent and in the world, such as those who make up the Latin American Federation of Journalists, or those who have participated in the Patria International Colloquium in the last two years, continue to having in Cuba a referent of inalienable agreement, searches and utopia”, said Ronquillo. Photo: Heriberto González.
Among the advances for the future, Ronquillo mentioned that, “to get rid of any ballast we now have the Communication Policy of the State and the Government, with communication between the strategic axes of government management, with the Social Communication Law and the impetus for an experiment to change the models of editorial, economic and technological management of our media”.
Faced with another world and another country, different from those when UPEC was created, the national president said that “what cannot change is the energy, the commitment and the hope of our founders.”
As an act of journalists, they could not lack great news. In the ceremony, the national president of UPEC received the recognition that the Central Committee of the Party gives to the organization of Cuban reporters, this time delivered by Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, head of the ideological department of the Central Committee of Cuba.
Rogelio Polanco, member of the secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party and head of its Ideological Department, highlighted Fidel’s phrase “Have me be one of you”, present in the diploma he delivered to Upec. Photo: Heriberto González.
The Central de Trabajadores de Cuba, represented by its general secretary, Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, also gave a stimulus to UPEC, in this case the 80th Anniversary stamp of the CTC.
From the hands of Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, Ronquillo received the 80th Anniversary seal from the CTC. Photo: Heriberto González.
Teresa Amarelle Boue, General Secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women, presented UPEC with the most sensitive gift: a painting with the image of the heroine Vilma Espín Guillois, by virtue of the meritorious work of the organization in defense of ethical journalism in orientation to families and defense of women.
The most sensitive gift: a painting with the image of the heroine Vilma Espín Guillois. Photo: Heriberto González.
The brand new Institute of Information and Social Communication -one of the new tools to transform this pillar in Cuba- also recognized the 60 years of UPEC; while the Cuban Radio gave him the honorary diploma for his centenary.
On the right, Alfonso Noya Martínez. Photo: Heriberto González.
A very exciting moment of the act was the delivery to fifteen founders of UPEC and its Honorary President, Tubal Páez Hernández, of the 60th Anniversary Commemorative Coin, which colleagues with honorable careers have received throughout the country.
Photo: Endrys Correa Vaillant.
The journalists were also accompanied in this celebration of memory and purposes by Roberto Morales Ojeda, member of the Political Bureau of the Party and Secretary of Organization of its Central Committee; Inés María Chapman Waugh, Vice Prime Minister of the Republic and other leaders of the Party and the Government.
On the part of the press, the founders and leaders of the UPEC, José Martí journalism awards for the Work of Life, professionals and directors of the media were at the Martí theater.
(Cover image: Upec’s 60th anniversary celebration at the Martí Theater. Photo: Tony Hernández Mena).
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