Prensa Latina, officially known as Agencia Informativa Latinoamericana S.A., is Cuba’s state-run international news agency. It was founded on June 16, 1959, shortly after the Cuban Revolution, by Argentine journalist Jorge Ricardo Masetti with the support of Fidel Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara. The agency was established to provide a Latin American perspective in global news, countering dominant Western narratives. Among its early contributors were notable journalists and writers such as Gabriel García Márquez, Rodolfo Walsh, and Carlos María Gutiérrez.
Prensa Latina operates a network of correspondents in approximately 40 countries and offers news services in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian.
Media assets
News agency: Prensa Latina
Publishing: Orbe, Negocios en Cuba, The Havana Reporter, Avances Medicos de Cuba, Cuba Internacional
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
Prensa Latina is a not-for-profit organization owned by the Cuban government. The agency’s management is appointed by the state, though the specific governmental body responsible for these appointments is not publicly disclosed.
Source of funding and budget
While Prensa Latina generates revenue by selling its content to various clients, including international media outlets, the majority of its funding comes from the Cuban government. Detailed budgetary information is not publicly available.
Editorial independence
Prensa Latina’s editorial content aligns closely with the perspectives and policies of the Cuban government. While the agency covers a broad range of topics, including international news, culture, and science, its reporting often reflects the official stance of the state. There is no legal framework establishing the agency’s editorial independence, nor is there an independent oversight mechanism to assess its journalistic practices.
TeleSUR, a Venezuelan state-funded media outlet, shares similar editorial objectives with Prensa Latina. Both organizations aim to present news from a perspective that challenges Western media narratives, often highlighting the successes of leftist governments in Latin America. Their content strategies include extensive coverage of government activities and policies, with minimal critical analysis.
May 2025