CubaPLUS Magazine

For 46 years, the CPI has played a pivotal role in facilitating journalistic coverage by coordinating media access and providing essential resources to foreign press outlets accredited in Cuba.

The anniversary celebration, held at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba, was attended by representatives from 56 media outlets across 26 countries accredited to the island, along with CPI staff, including several of its founders, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to which the institution is attached.

During the ceremony, Abel Derivet, Director General of the CPI, emphasized the importance of the institution's founding, stating, "The International Press Center was established with the aim of becoming a meeting place and a forum for dialogue between our country and the community of journalists, communicators, documentary filmmakers, and photographers who visit us. Since then, we have strived to ensure that the 'truths of Cuba' reach every corner of the planet with objectivity and rigor."

He further highlighted some of the most significant news events that have benefited from the CPI's support, including the return of Elián González to Cuba, the struggle for the release of the Cuban Five, the historic visits of Popes, the passing of the Historical Leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, and various summits and international events in Cuba that marked milestones in international relations.

Derivet also addressed the impact of unilateral coercive measures imposed by the United States, which significantly affect all sectors of Cuban society. He underscored the importance of the CPI's ongoing work, stating, "Now more than ever, we must improve the service we provide to the foreign press, facilitating access to genuine and diverse sources with the speed that the practice of journalism requires."

He concluded by stating, "May this 46th anniversary serve as an impetus to continue building bridges of understanding and collaboration," and quoted Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez, who emphasized that “…the committed vocation of becoming a space for encounter and dialogue with the press professionals who choose Cuba as their destination, endures as a fundamental axis of the indispensable action of the International Press Center.”