Granma laments the loss of colleague Juan Pedro Varela Pérez, who passed away on the evening of January 31, aged 79.
Born in Cienfuegos, Varela enjoyed a fruitful professional career ever since earning his journalism degree in 1960. He acquired various skills and knowledge working in the Press and Publications Department of the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation (Inder), as director of the Santa Clara-based newspaper Vanguardia, collaborating on various radio programs and as editor-in-chief of El Mundo.
In April 1969 he began working as a reporter for Granma, gaining the respect and admiration of all his colleagues over almost 50 years and sharing his extensive experience with young journalists. He was also head of Granma’s information group, an active member of the Union of Journalists and Writers of Cuba (UPEC) and the Communist Party of Cuba. In 1996 he became the first person to win the National Journalism Prize for sugar sector reporting.
Granma extends its most heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.
