The tribute, held at the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC), was attended by the widow of the renowned editor, María del Carmen Marín, first vice president of UPEC, Rosa Miriam Elizalde, and several colleagues and former students of the also professor.
Among the participants were the national journalism awards José Martí, Juana Carrasco, Irma Cáceres, Manuel Guerrero, Pedro Martínez Pirez and Eduardo Yassel.
“Hugo honors Cuban journalism,” said Martínez Pirez, who referred to him as a man of talent, with his own personality and style.
Martínez also transmitted the message of Carlos Medina, correspondent for Radio Habana Cuba in Montevideo, who expressed his appreciation to the Prensa Latina journalist, who died while working as a correspondent for the agency in the Uruguayan capital.
Editor Roberto Molina, also a co-worker of Rius, recalled the high human values he possessed and how when they shared a mission in Vietnam, Cuban diplomats and officials came to Rius to ask for his considerations on various issues.
He said Rius was passionate about the work of Ryszard Kapuściński and made great contributions to the formation of new generations, hence he proposed naming in his honor some of the spaces of the Faculty of Communication of the University of Havana, his other professional development scenario.
Juana Carrasco, for her part, cataloged the honoree as a great analyst and highlighted his enormous ethics; while Professor María de los Ángeles González valued him as a great friend and an impeccable teacher.
The vice president of UPEC, Rosa Miriam Elizalde, expressed the admiration of all his students, for his professional work and for having witnessed numerous historical events, including meetings with Ernesto Che Guevara.
She described him as a man of wide culture, who made young people fall in love with the profession and was a great educator.
She recalled his contributions to the Cubadebate portal, his humility and intelligence, as well as his extraordinary sensitivity for the union and those who dedicated their lives to journalism.
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