Under Martí’s premise that “Homeland is humanity” and with a call to communicators from Cuba and the world not to falter in this common struggle, the 5th International Colloquium Patria was inaugurated on Thursday in Havana.
The opening ceremony, which took place at the Cultural Station on Línea and 18th Streets, was attended by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, who, along with more than 500 guests, both Cuban and international, welcomed a new edition of the event, which is increasingly consolidating itself as a space for shaping communicative resistance from the Global South against the powerful imperial offensive.
In his welcoming remarks, Ricardo Ronquillo Bello, president of the Union of Journalists of Cuba, referred to the daily struggles faced by thousands of Cuban families and how the country’s highest authorities have made the necessary adjustments to guarantee essential services amidst the current situation, exacerbated by the intensification of energy persecution against the largest of the Antilles.
Ronquillo Bello denounced the hostile policy of the United States toward the Caribbean nation, which subjects its population to extremely ruthless conditions amounting to genocide. He stated that these conditions are only overcome thanks to the greatness of the Cuban people, their resilience and creativity and the political leadership of the Party.
The presence of prominent figures in the media from around the world at the event was highlighted by the union representative, who cited it as proof of the meeting’s success, even under extremely challenging circumstances, and how many worthy friends from around the globe share a common cause with the archipelago and its inhabitants.
Similarly, the president of the UPEC emphasized the urgent need to find avenues for alternative communication that oppose the current international order, which seeks to impose its single narrative and discourse from centers of hegemonic power and which today constitutes a critical danger to civilization and the human species.
“With renewed humanism, Patria equips us for the communication battle of the 21st century. Thank you for being and for standing with José Martí: Patria is humanity,” he concluded.
Proof of this global conviction was shown during the virtual greetings from Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, and Ghassan Ben Jeddou, president of the Pan-Arab Network Al Mayadeen, who defended the relevance of the meeting in the current context and the legacy of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, to whom the conclave is dedicated on the centenary of his birth.
Both guests agreed on the conviction that every homeland must be respected in the face of Washington’s current hostile escalation, and expressed confidence that the Cuban people will find the path forward amidst these threats.
The colloquium is taking place with the added motivation of the 65th anniversary of the events that led to the popular victory at Playa Girón against the mercenary aggression.
Also attending the opening were members of the Political Bureau of the Party, Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee, and Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with other Party leaders, members of the Union of Cuban Journalists (UPEC), and directors and representatives of national and international media outlets and media projects.
The Colloquium Patria includes an intensive program of exchanges on the communications context, specialized workshops, conferences, and panels.
IMAGE CREDIT: José Manuel Lapeira Casas | Photos: Luis Jiménez
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
