“Those who have journalism in their veins can hardly leave that profession, even in retirement. “That love is forever.”

That’s what Jorge Navarro Torres tells us, who through family tradition came to the printing press of the newspaper El Camagüeyano. At a very young age he saw the transformation of the Camagüey press and decided to join his father as an apprentice linotypist.

His father, also called Jorge Navarro and known as El Cubano, was a printer for that newspaper; an already uncommon profession. There he began “El Cubanito” to look at the letters and the smell of the ink; After more than 50 years of work, he has a lot to tell.

His Career Path

Navarro, nicknamed in the union by “El Cubanito”, stopped being an apprentice to improve himself in the former Soviet Union and return as a printing technician. By reading the newspapers so much in each edition, his interest in sports news was awakened and he joined the movement of INDER volunteer correspondents; work that he maintained with great enthusiasm until the end of the 90s, when he went on to manage the Press Department in the Directorate of Culture.

Although sports and culture are different sectors, the jump was very pleasant for him, because without stopping moving his work, he began to report everything that our rich local culture generates every day.

A pleasant memory

The fondita of Clotilde Torres, her mother, was a frequent meeting point for the actors of the Camagüey Dramatic Ensemble, where many of today’s famous actors began their artistic lives. For their premieres there was always a special invitation for the Navarro-Torres Family, who in addition to providing a special flavor, welcomed art with pleasure.

Thus, his father bought Jorge Jr. a violin, to introduce him to the arts, but the boy was more into sports and his musical ear was not enough; however, the artistic sensibility was hidden there and by attending to the sector he was able to enjoy its transit.

At the beginning of 2000 he was hired at the Provincial Station, from there, in 2004 and with the opening of Radio Camagüey (Municipal Station), he entered and stayed as a reporter until his retirement.

On the radio

It was there where we met and began our friendship and camaraderie, which now exceeds 20 years, since Navarro was the father of all the young journalists we started there; He also believed himself to be the father of our children, of whom he was always attentive, ready to help us at any moment.

Among the many sectors and institutions that he served within the radio, was the Office of the Historian, an entity that he loves and admires, because in addition to giving beauty and vitality to the city, in his opinion, it has given a place in the history to forgotten people; those anonymous people who make up the great history and who contributed a lot to the country.

Sentimental moment

It was a morning of memories and experiences in the living room of his house, where there is no shortage of books and several copies of the newspaper Adelante. We were able to laugh, relive beautiful moments in which we crossed work and tensions to inform our listeners, but from which we always came out happy, because of the great team of reporters that we were. Among them was Lizandra Góngora (as head of information, “the boss”), Miguel Febles, Gleibis Gómez, Víctor Prieto and who tells you today; among others who passed later and left their mark.

In 2019 Navarro retired, but continued to collaborate with sports topics at the station, until the Covid pandemic came and he stopped working; but he says that he is not retired, at any moment he looks for how to follow the news.

His eternal gratitude goes to his parents who encouraged him to be a journalist and also to his teachers and colleagues, who are no longer here: Armando Boudé and Rolando Ramírez; He hopes he has not made them look bad in his efforts and, above all, to defend the credibility and respect in each of his news.

According to what he confessed to me, between a few tears of emotion, he is a journalist 24 hours a day and, furthermore, a faithful lover of his land; He does not abandon the pleasure of reporting, which is why newspapers and radio continue to be present in his daily life.

On the way out I ask him: if you weren’t from Camagüey, where would you like to be from? And with a knot of emotions that cut his voice, he tells me: “You’re going to make me cry, because I can’t imagine myself living anywhere other than my Camagüey. ”

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García