DistantNews
Support us
🇻🇪 Venezuela /Culture & Society

Diario Las Américas: 73 years of evolution, Hispanic exile, and journalism with truth

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources New plan
  • Diario Las Américas celebrates its 73rd anniversary as South Florida's first Spanish-language printed newspaper.
  • The publication has served as a vital voice for Hispanic exiles, particularly Cubans, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans, denouncing authoritarian regimes and documenting migration.
  • Acquired in 2012, the newspaper transformed into a digital and print multiplatform, aiming to be a truthful reference point and planning continental expansion.

Diario Las Américas marks its 73rd anniversary, standing as the first Spanish-language printed newspaper in South Florida and the second oldest in the United States. Founded on July 4, 1953, by brothers Horacio and Francisco Aguirre Baca, the publication has long been a crucial information pillar and an unwavering voice for Hispanic exiles.

Following the 1959 Revolution, it solidified its role as a primary channel for expression, cohesion, and denunciation for Cuban refugees. Its mission later extended to Venezuelan and Nicaraguan communities. The newspaper maintains a strict editorial line focused on exposing authoritarian regimes in Latin America and documenting ongoing migratory crises, upholding its foundational principles of freedom, culture, and hemispheric solidarity.

A strategic turning point occurred in late 2012 with the acquisition by Grupo Mezerhane. Venezuelan businessman Nelson Mezerhane spearheaded a significant restructuring, transforming the traditional afternoon paper into a dynamic digital and print multiplatform. Mezerhane emphasizes that the group views the newspaper not merely as a lucrative business but as a communication space committed to ethical rigor and truth over sensationalism.

"Our plan is different. Respect human rights, respect democracy, respect the human being in their integrity, provide good information, guide, and that is the function of Diario Las Américas," Mezerhane stated. He advocates for a collective journalistic commitment in an era of disinformation, aiming to create an indispensable medium that readers see as a "club of truth."

The newspaper plans continental expansion, with functional offices projected in Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Ecuador. This strategy involves partnerships with local businessmen who will provide national citizen information, while the Miami-based group will supply general coverage under the newspaper's banner.

Our plan is different. Respect human rights, respect democracy, respect the human being in their integrity, provide good information, guide, and that is the function of Diario Las Américas.

— Nelson MezerhaneThe businessman and owner of Grupo Mezerhane, Nelson Mezerhane, described the newspaper's mission.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog