The main activity for the anniversary this Friday highlights the convergence of the two dates to pay tribute to a man who, along with his compatriot Jorge Ricardo Masetti, its first director, founded Prensa Latina in the context of Operation Truth, held in January 1959 by the historic leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro.

Che, as the Cuban-Argentinean guerrilla fighter is known here, proposed the name Prensa Latina for this agency, emerged to break the media monopoly of large corporations. Then, it became the first and most significant alternative media outlet in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Several testimonials and photos attest to Che’s close relationship with this agency and explain his legacy on the character and goals of those who, over six decades, have developed their work with professionalism amid the complex scenarios and circumstances in Cuba and abroad.

Some of these photos, which make up the rich historical archive of Prensa Latina, are part of the photo exhibition entitled “Testigo de la Historia” (Witness of History), which opened on June 12 at Havana’s ALBA House of Culture, where the book “Prensa Latina, Voz del Sur Global” (Prensa Latina, Voice of the Global South) was also launched. Friday’s celebration at the Havana-based Casa de las Americas, including the events held in four US cities as part of the Hispanic American Press Congress recently held in New York, joins other activities in Cuba and 36 countries worldwide.

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