By: Daniela Verdecia
The Cuban Press Day ceremony was celebrated at The Hall of Mirrors of the Provincial Government building on March 14 in honor of the founding of the “Patria” newspaper by Jose Marti.

The Gloria Cuadras Provincial Journalism Award, in the print media category, went to Luis Alberto Portuondo; Yulia Nela González Bazán won the hypermedia award; and the radio and television categories were left vacant

Along with the celebration, the event recognized the work of its members: journalist Maria del Carmen Diaz was awarded the Small Screen prize and the 75th Anniversary of Cuban Television seal.

In the workshop “From Martí to Fidel: The Press,” in the print category, third place went to Luis Alberto Portuondo, a correspondent for Granma, while second and first place went to
Nelson Hair Malik of the Cuban News Agency.

In radio, Orlando Amaro Alvarez won first place and Naylet Hernandez won second the second.

The provincial president of the Association of Cuban Journalists, Victor Hugo Leyva, stated

that “now more than ever, professional solidarity and ethics will be our best weapons against what condemns us, especially in the defense of values such as humanism, solidarity, and ,” he argued, also expressing gratitude for the donations from colleagues in other provinces for those affected by Hurricane Melissa.

“I conclude by congratulating everyone, but I am especially grateful for the opportunity to represent a profession without which it would be Impossible to preserve for history the significance of the concrete events in our province.”

The top provincial Party and Government authorities Beatriz Johnson and Manuel Falcón respectively journalists celebrated their day, committed to Marti’s call for unity and vocation, and to Fidel’s premise that the press has the fundamental mission of defending the Revolution.