The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac) today celebrates 59 years of being founded by the National Poet, Nicolás Guillén, with the same principle of social justice that still guides its steps.
Havana, Cuba.- The organization for cultural and artistic purposes voluntarily groups together Cuban writers and artists, chosen on the basis of their professional curriculum.
As stated on its website, the foundation of Uneac responded to the objective of preserving the project of social justice and national independence that began to materialize with the triumph of the Revolution in 1959.
Likewise, it sought to unite the intelligentsia and the artistic vanguard of the country in pursuit of the development of Cuban culture.
Among the purposes of Uneac are to stimulate, protect and defend intellectual and artistic creation, as well as to reject and combat all activity contrary to the principles of the Revolution.
The organization - with its own legal personality and full legal capacity - promotes the cultural development of its members through various forms of promotion, both in Cuba and abroad.
Since its creation, it has been represented by artists of recognized prestige in all areas of aesthetic and philosophical arts, in its direction there were names such as Alejo Carpentier, José Lezama Lima and René Portocarrero.
Upon closing the IX Congress of Uneac, in June 2019, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urged to strengthen cultural policy and give it the content that current times are demanding.
The president also insisted on valuing culture as a fundamental link in the productive chains that it is interested in promoting.
Díaz-Canel advised promoting an intense cultural activity in all cities and tourist areas that, while enriching the cultural life of the town, attracts and conquers its visitors.
At the same time, he drew attention to the relevant role of culture in stimulating exchange with other peoples of the world.
In the debates within the commissions, the Cuban writers and artists grouped in Uneac strengthened their commitment to contribute so that this organization penetrates and dialogue with the social fabric of the nation.
At the same time, they exchanged on the impact of new technologies that coexist with traditional modes of communication and the ways of fostering the formation of a public capable of discerning with critical judgment what is culturally valuable and authentic.
Other debates delved into the place that heritage and memory occupy in the construction and consolidation of the cultural identity of the Cuban nation and its citizens.
The IX Congress of Uneac was held under a slogan that continues to be the organization's flagship: "Without culture, no freedom is possible." (PL)
