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When in October 2023 the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) presented the Maestro de Juventudes awards to five renowned artists and intellectuals in the country, an immense act of justice was done.
Among them was the recently deceased journalist, critic and writer Pedro de la Hoz (Cienfuegos, 1953-Havana, 2024), of whom Yasel Toledo Garnache, president of the AHS, pointed out that he is a reference for his work, the ethical dimension and his characteristics as a professional and human being.
Toledo Garnache pointed to the Cuban News Agency that from the Cuban artistic avant-garde, De la Hoz will be remembered for his passion, and ability to listen and defend his ideas with arguments.
He was a lover of journalism, art and culture in general, a total Cuban, a profound critic and an inspiring being, with frequent suggestions for young people, he stated.
It is almost never said, but he had a good sense of humor and a repertoire of anecdotes, accumulated over so many years in the exercise of his profession, as he was close to great personalities from our country and from other parts of the world, he noted.
For the president of the AHS, who confessed that he grew up reading his works in the newspaper Granma and other media outlets where he always argued, having Pedro was a great learning experience.
He pointed out that the vice president of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac) remained aware of the cultural sphere and constantly defended artistic hierarchies.
He was, without a doubt, a Youth Teacher, a condition that the AHS granted him in 2023 as recognition and a sign of admiration and affection from the new generations, he said.
Toledo Garnache recalled that De la Hoz accompanied the organization in book presentations, conferences and workshops, including the first National Conference on Theory and Cultural Criticism, held last year, and also in informal spaces, where he spoke with passion and smiled when he felt in family.
It is very difficult for such a professional critic to be loved by everyone, and Pedro achieved it for his ethics and preparation, for his charisma and ability to convince, he assured.
From AHS we are sorry for his departure, but we are sure that he will continue to be present in many ways, he stated.
Pedro de la Hoz González, who died on June 5, was a member of the Cultural Editorial Team of the newspaper Granmaan organization where he worked for 36 years, and also served as president of the Aponte Commission of Uneac.
He was the recipient of notable awards, including the José Antonio Fernández de Castro Cultural Journalism Award (1999), as well as the José Martí National Journalism Award for his life’s work and the Replica of the Machete of Máximo Gómez, both in 2022. .
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