Although he was already a renowned journalist when, in 1987, he gave the Commander-in-Chief his memorable interview An Encounter with Fidel, it was not until then that the Italian Gianni Minà became, due to the repercussion of the work, an extraordinarily beloved figure for the Cuban people.
Upon learning of his death, he passed away on March 27 due to a "short heart disease" at the age of 84- it is impossible to forget the impact caused by the aforementioned book, which found countless readers inside and outside the Island, and which turned out to be one of the most sought-after titles in those years, given the compilation of information on the Cuban Revolution, treasured in the 16 hours that the conversation would last.
More than 60 documentaries and the coverage of eight World Cups and seven Olympic Games, among many other sporting events, distinguish the journalistic work of this friend of Cuba, passionate about the revolutionary history of the Island, which he visited on more than 50 occasions, and which he considered "an example for the world", for being, in his opinion, "the realization of utopia, even under a blockade that has lasted more than 50 years."
A member of the Communist Party of Italy and of the Network of Intellectuals in Defense of Humanity, the prominent intellectual participated in the International Colloquium Memory and Future: Cuba and Fidel, one of the actions conceived to celebrate the 80th birthday of the historic Cuban leader.
In 2018, he was decorated with the Felix Elmusa Distinction, the highest award granted by the Union of Cuban Journalists. On the occasion, he was described as an "ethical, courageous and daring journalist," author of "an immeasurable work," for which reason "it should be preserved among the essential ones."
In 2021, in a letter addressed to the workers of the Finlay Institute of Vaccines, of BioCubaFarma, Gianni Minà, expressed:
"You are special people, capable of enormous sacrifices, generous and kind, who never bow, nor will bow before injustices. We know, with pain, that you are living a very difficult and risky time, perhaps more than the special period.
"However, there is always something that keeps you going. Someone said that only in the deepest darkness can you see clearly the light that illuminates. We are very convinced of this."
Birri argued that the place of utopia, which by definition is nowhere, is somewhere.
“We know it, we have seen it and we are witnesses of it, and that is why we have sung it all our lives: Cuba, the country of brotherhood and solidarity, of help and closeness to the weakest (and with this new vaccine, Soberana, is the proof), it is our Utopia that has become a reality.
“And that is why we must resist, we from here, but above all you from Cuba, because Cuba is the only country where a different, fairer system is possible, that reminds everyone of the hope of a "buon vivir"".
