El Regino –as it is colloquially named-, was created by Trabajadores newspaper in 1996 to homage the author of Saturación fraterna al taller mecánico, who placed the first stone in a new poetry in Cuba that has continued in future generations with their participation in this contest.
This event is also sponsored by the Cuban Workers Federation (CTC) and the Book Cuban Institute (ICL) and the great participation of Jorge Rivas, who leads this contest and is also the head of the Culture department of the newspaper. It also has the participation of other friends like Pedro Peglez, also worker from the newspaper and Cucalambe Latin American Award; journalists and literary critics Fernando Rodriguez and Omar Perdomo (1944-2011), Karel Leyva, directive from ICL and Petra Ballagas who worked with enthusiasm in these events until she died.
Several plastic artists and musicians had joined this contest to congratulate those participating in the competition. Angel Silvestre donated a dozen of his works for the awarded and the members of the jury.
The activity for the award was held at Indio Nabori Hall at the headquarters of the CTC presided over by the general secretary of the CTC Ulises Guilarte.
Organizers handed in the Great Honorary Award to Fernando Rodriguez, member of the jury together with Waldo Leyva and Roberto Manzano.
The director of Trabajadores newspaper, Alberto Nuñez ratified “the commitment of continuity of these contests – now held every year- for the respect we feel for Regino, the poet of the Cuban proletariat.” Rivas then asserted that the “first award is for those interested on sending their poems, as expression not only of interest and respect to Regino, but also for the high valuation they had made of this event.”
