Alejandro Gómez, Vice President of Prensa Latina, has called for media outlets in the Global South to join forces to strengthen their capabilities and share their own stories in the face of media hegemony.
Speaking before the Council of the Belt and Road News Network — of which Prensa Latina is a member — Gómez highlighted the importance of having spaces for cooperation that allow for seeking collective responses to global challenges and disseminating a worldview from the perspective of the Global South.
The executive noted that current conflicts, the risk of military escalation, hegemonic ambitions, and threats against those who seek to report the truth underscore the need for such coordination.
Gómez expressed satisfaction with the growing influence and cohesion of the Belt and Road News Network, which is establishing itself as a platform for media cooperation.
The vice president denounced the difficulties the agency faces due to economic, political and media pressure exerted by the United States against Cuba, stating that these actions directly impact the work of its bureaus in various countries.
As examples, he cited the termination of banking services by Wells Fargo for the Washington bureau last year, as well as a notification from Bank of America regarding the discontinuation of its services to that same office.
He also mentioned the cancellation of telephone and internet services by AT&T in Mexico, along with obstacles encountered in receiving financial transfers in Italy, where a bank demanded additional guarantees due to the Cuban origin of the funds.
Prensa Latina calls for uniting Global South media in the face of hegemony
Gómez noted that these difficulties are compounded by prolonged power outages affecting Prensa Latina’s headquarters in Havana, with electrical interruptions lasting up to 20 hours a day.
In this context, he underscored the value of cooperation among media outlets in the Global South, highlighting China as an example of the development of indigenous technologies and their application for the benefit of the population, as well as a source of aid and cooperation for addressing common challenges.
The executive emphasized the need to narrow technological gaps, strengthen professional training, and align the agendas, narratives, and interests of these media outlets—all while preserving cultural diversity.
Finally, he urged journalistic organizations in the Global South to persevere in the face of adversity and to work together so that their societies can tell their own stories.
The Belt and Road News Network is a platform that already brings together more than 320 media outlets from approximately 120 countries.
However, only about 30 of these outlets are members of its Council, with Prensa Latina and Monitor Mercantil being the only representatives from Latin America.
[ SOURCE: PRENSA LATINA ]
