The XI Congress of the Union of Journalists of Cuba (UPEC), scheduled for July 14 and 15 of this year, will be held on November 2 and 3, under the process of repair and modernization that its headquarters, the Palace of Conventions of Havana, carries out to host an important international event.

That was the main news that the national president of the union, Ricardo Ronquillo Bello, offered to his peers from all the provinces in the meeting by videoconference held from the Central Press House, in the capital.

In the company of the official of the ideological department of the Central Committee of the Bolivia Party Tamara Cruz and the first vice president of the UPEC, Rosa Miriam Elizalde, Ronquillo clarified that the transfer of date does not respond to the tense economic situation of the country, but to the enlistment of the Palace ... for the Summit of the Group of 77 + China, which Cuba will host, in September.

The president of the UPEC explained how this unforeseen situation can, however, be used to advance further, before the Congress, in "things that are germinating", such as the recent constitution of the Institute of Information and Social Communication and the foundation of the pillars for the experiments of new models of editorial, economic and technological management in the press.

In the new context, the arrangements for transportation -basically, by rail- from the provinces and the accommodation of the delegates in Havana are updated.

Now, the UPEC focuses its closest strategy on celebrating the 60th anniversary of the organization, which will be celebrated on July 15. A central act is planned, on the 14th – which will include in its blocks the award of the winners of the National Contest July 26 of this year – and other similar ones in the provinces, which must develop their own communication campaigns in this regard.

The national president called on those of the provinces to honor, with a plan of activities of height, the significance of this date not only for the press, but for the country, and the involvement of the UPEC in the model of public communication that the nation proposes.

Among the general activities listed by Ronquillo are an exhibition on Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolution, the documentary about the UPEC -with founders as protagonists-, the completion, with that of Mayabeque, of the system of Press Houses of the country, the tribute to former leaders of the organization and the videoconference on the Law of Social Communication recently approved in Parliament.

Before July 15, both in Havana and in the other provinces, the 60th Anniversary Coin will be delivered, established especially to recognize, around the anniversary, prominent professionals of the Cuban press. Another point of high significance will undoubtedly be the gala that the National Ballet of Cuba will dedicate to the journalistic guild.

The postponement of the final sessions of the Eleventh Congress also led to that of the Plenary of the National Committee in which the topics of discussion of that one will be outlined and the composition of the new Committee will be announced. Currently, at the headquarters of the UPEC the scrutiny of the vote made from each delegation by all the affiliates to renew this structure is carried out.

Between Ronquillo and Rosa Miriam Elizalde, first vice president, they checked the progress of the preparation, from the provincial delegations, of the communication map, a substantial contribution to updating the state of the press and its professionals. Once concluded, this project will give an updated idea of the situation of the guild and will make possible, via online, procedures such as new income, transfers and cancellations.

(With information from Cubaperiodistas)