Olance Nogueras Rofes

Who is Olance Nogueras Rofes?

Olance Nogueras Rofes is a journalist.

In 1992, Nogueras made a specialization course in journalism in the School of Communication at the University of Havana. Later, at the International Institute of Journalism Jose Marti completed postgraduate courses in television, writing and style, story in print, broadcasting, and opinion.

In January 1994, began his media career as a director and host of the news program “Hora 25” in CMHU, Radio Ciudad del Mar in his native city, Cienfuegos. Three months later, on March 12, 1994, he was expelled indefinitely from the Cuba’s official media as the result of an on air interview with the Secretary General of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba: Monsignor Emilio Aranguren and also for include political leaders, artists and scholars of Cuban’s exiles in Miami in his program.

In August 1994, stars his career as a freelance journalist in the Association of Independent Journalists of Cuba. In September 1995, he was one of the founders of the Independent Press Bureau of Cuba with Raul Rivero, Yndamiro Restano, and other journalists excluded from Cuba government's media.

Nogueras was arrested 26 times by the organs of State Security for his defense of freedom, expression, information, and a democratic opening in the island. He was also expelled several times from press conferences organized by the Cuban’s authorities. His recording equipment were seized and violently destroyed. He received death threats, and he was the victim of a rally of repudiation of pro-government mobs, after the U.S. official to accompany Robin Diane Meyer, during a visit to Cienfuegos. Meyer’s automobile tires were punctured. The incident caused a protest from the Clinton administration. In 1996, he receives the Freedom of the Press award from the Inter American Press Association, as the result of the promotion for freedom of information, as a founding member of the Independent Press Bureau of Cuba.