HAVANA, Cuba.- On November 8, 1782, the initial number of the Havana Gazette, the first periodic publication on the Island of which copies are preserved. The newspaper, which circulated weekly, was issued by the printing house of the Captaincy General during the mandate of Captain General Ambrosio de Funes (Count of Ricla), and under the direction of the prestigious Spanish writer and journalist based in Cuba, Diego de la Barrier.
The Havana Gazette It disclosed not only the official dispositions of the Captaincy General, but also the appointments of the Crown for positions in the Americas, as well as information of interest on the social and cultural life of the city, commercial traffic, current economic affairs and international news.
Some critics pointed out the discretionary and unserious character when writing the news, as well as the lack of coherence in the organization of the contents. However, every Friday, for two years, an issue of the publication came out, which, despite being the first of its kind, is not considered the first newspaper in Cuba due to its short life and limited impact on society.
This honor was reserved for Havana Newspapera (1792), the first publication of economic and literary interest, with which the development of the press on the Island began and in whose pages the most brilliant intellectuals of the time wrote.
The name of Havana Gazette it was used in later years by other Cuban newspapers, until in 1848, under the command of Captain General Leopoldo O’Donnell, it became the official organ of the government of the Cuban capital.
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