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The medium Café Fuerte, one of the pioneers of independent Cuban journalism, celebrated its 15th anniversary since its founding on July 5th.
Thus, it was announced by its director Wilfredo Cancio Isla in an editorial highlighting the fact that “against all odds, overcoming the challenge of sustaining a publication with no resources beyond the personal contributions and professional enthusiasm of its creators, Café Fuerte celebrates today the heroic milestone of 15 years.”
Currently, Café Fuerte is entirely produced by Cancio Isla, who is responsible for "the production and editing of what is published on the site, as well as the promotion on social media, and the MESA DE INMIGRACIÓN and JUSTICE AND LAW programs that I host weekly on the YouTube channel, with the invaluable contributions of lawyers Willy Allen and Julia Kefalinos, and the assistance of colleague Ismael Requejo."
The veteran Cuban journalist explained that the current goal of the media outlet is to defend “the traditional values of journalism” in a context of “content circulation” characterized by “shoddy work, triviality, and ignorance” aimed at “gaining audiences and followers.”
In this statement, Cancio Isla, a former member of Cibercuba, called to “refine our informational consumption and pave a path for cultural rescue and consolidation for the future, which today seems doomed to foolishness and disconnection, no matter how technologically connected we may be.”
"I remain committed to journalism and now focused on Café Fuerte with the modest aspiration of providing an alternative communication platform and an authentic voice in the landscape of independent press, dedicated to defending pluralism, participation, and informational transparency, which must be the cornerstones of journalism in a democratic Cuba," he stated in the editorial.
The Journey of Café Fuerte
Café Fuerte "was founded on July 5, 2010, by journalists Ivette Leyva and this server [Cancio Isla], with the initial collaboration of sports commentators Alberto Águila and Raúl Arce, all residing in Miami. Soon after, reporter Daniel Palacios joined from Cuba, who now resides in the United States," reads the site.
The medium has been, since its conception and up to the present, a self-funded project and an initiative by a group of friends with shared interests.
“In its years of existence, Café Fuerte has incorporated contributions from collaborators and writers covering a wide array of topics and analytical approaches from Cuba, the United States, and other countries in Latin America and Europe. Its platform and editorial line have been open to any collaboration that provides newsworthy information and meaningful opinions based on principles of professional rigor, expressive quality, and respect for freedom of expression that should define journalism in our times,” they add.
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