AREQUIPA, Peru – Cuban José López Horta, known as Pepe Horta, a prominent cultural figure on the Island, businessman and art collector, died this Friday in Havana at the age of 72.
As shared by the portal Strong CoffeeHorta was found dead in his residence in El Vedado, very close to the bed. Preliminary data indicate that he may have suffered a heart attack, although authorities are still investigating the causes.
In life, Pepe Horta transcended as founder of the popular Café Nostalgia in Miami and former official of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC).
Among his latest posts on Facebook, an entry stands out where he celebrated the end of the year and the arrival of 2025 with “good vibes for everyone.”
Born in Havana on March 14, 1952, Horta was known as a personal assistant and friend of Alfredo Guevarafounder of the ICAIC.
Since the mid-70s, he dedicated himself to the seventh art and held the positions of head of International Relations and director of the Havana International Film Festival.
In the 1980s, Horta diplomatically represented the Island before UNESCO in Paris. His return to the ICAIC in 1991 coincided with moments of political tension, marked by the controversial film “Alice in the Town of Wonders” that mocked the absurdities of Cuban reality.
After a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 1994, Horta decided not to return to Cuba. At that time, the event coincided with the mass exodus known as the rafters crisis. After living in Mexico For a short time, he settled in Miami, where he founded the emblematic Café Nostalgia.
Located on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, Café Nostalgia became a cultural center for Cuban exiles. With an atmosphere that evoked Republican Cuba, the place promoted emerging artists and served as a meeting point for musicians and entertainment figures internationally.
In 2013, Pepe Horta traveled to Cuba to assist Alfredo Guevara before he died. Shortly afterward, he requested his repatriation from the Cuban authorities and since then he alternated seasons in Havana with trips to Miami.
