Artists, journalists and cultural institutions in Cuba expressed their sorrow at learning of the death of National Journalism Award winner Jose Luis Estrada Betancourt, who contributed to the promotion and defense of national art and its young avant-garde.

The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and Casa de las Americas expressed their condolences to family and friends of Jose Luis, a victim of COVID-19 at the age of 53.

"We share the grief for the loss of a journalist who contributed so much to the promotion of Cuban culture and its young talents.  Our condolences to family, friends and colleagues," expressed on their digital platforms the editorial board of the magazine Caimán Barbudo, with which he collaborated assiduously.

For her part, the president of the Cuban Institute of Music, Indira Fajardo, said on her Twitter account: "An important and necessary man has left us.  An eternal young man, a being with enough light to radiate forever."

Jose Luis Estrada was the director of the cultural page of Juventud Rebelde newspaper.  He was a professor of journalism and bequeathed to his disciples the good work focused on the enhancement of our artistic manifestations in all its dimensions.

On his pages, Jose Luis embraced cultural journalism for more than 15 years and recorded his frequent coverage of national and international events such as the Romerías de Mayo and the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema.