“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Gabriel Molina Franchossi, a founding member and a significant icon of the Revolution’s press,” stated Upec’s presidency. Molina, awarded the José Martí National Journalism Award for his dedicated service to his country and profession, died on the night of November 18 in France at the age of 91.

He had been in France for three years, during which he maintained connections and projects in Cuba, including with Upec, where he was a beloved and active member. While there, he faced two serious illnesses that delayed his return to Cuba.

A French medical institution recognized him as “a Cuban of Fidel Castro,” a title he proudly embraced. According to Upec, Fidel Castro assigned him one of his first professional missions as a correspondent in Algeria, where he gained insight into the country’s independence leaders. Molina also had close ties with prominent Revolution figures, such as Che Guevara, whom he interviewed shortly after the January 1959 triumph, earning the guerrilla’s admiration and affection, and that of Raúl Castro Ruz.

A fighter against Batista’s dictatorship with the Revolutionary Directory, Molina graduated in law and journalism, a passion that guided his life and earned him respect as a professional. In addition to founding Prensa Latina, he established the newspapers Combate, Granma, and Granma Internacional, directing the latter for 27 years, and also served as vice-president of the Cuban Institute of Radio and Television.

jrr/abo/jcm/raj