Gustavo Cisneros

Opinions

Nov. 30, I received one of the saddest pieces of news a person can get—the passing of a friend.

I will always remember George Herbert Walker Bush with joy, but, above all, with great admiration. I found in him not only a friend, but a partner who shared my dreams and visions regarding the need to create initiatives to strengthen and expand development in the region. He also believed in offering an education that would turn each young person into an agent of change, as well as in promoting prosperous—and propitious—environments for individual and collective development.

He was a statesman who, from my perspective, was one of the best presidents in the history of the United States, one who should be forever remembered for his ongoing search to improve living conditions in the region—not to mention what he did to support awareness of Latin America’s contributions to global culture.

He was a model citizen and an irreplaceable friend who broke the mold. People like him are only born once, and he will be sorely missed.

 

Gustavo CisnerosOpinions


I was recently informed about the passing away of my good friend, Jerry Perenchio, a successful and clever businessman who held innovative vision. I immediately began remembering with nostalgia the nice moments I spent with him and the challenges we faced to fulfill the dream to introduce ourselves in the Hispanic market of the US with a television channel that offered programs completely in Spanish. The idea was to create content that could completely satisfy the Hispanics’ need for information and entertainment, an emerging sector of the society, which at that time was not giving yet indications of becoming the first important minority of the country.

How could I forget the great adventure we began in 1992, Jerry Perenchio, Emilio Azcárraga (Milmo) and myself, with the purchase of Univision? At that moment, the project was a challenge of its own and few believed in it. Nevertheless, we kept moving on with great determination, convinced that the Hispanic market could turn into something much more forceful.

I recognize it was a risky purchase but together we created a new way to produce TV for Hispanics; a broadcasting chain with suitable contents for this great community that was rapidly growing; content which allowed them to remain connected with their origins and, at the same time create a sense of community and belonging to the U.S.

We bet and we won with Univision, which promptly turned  into a strong communicational force and a benchmark in the U.S broadcasting industry. It became a successful venture which peaked with the sale of the channel in $12 billion dollars in 2007, getting a place in history as one of the most successful moves in the history of television.

I always admired Jerry`s business vision, his knowledge of the media, the way he encouraged us to dream, and his philanthropy, which took him to make actions of great generosity being anonymous most of the times.

Thanks for the moments we shared, Jerry, we will always remember you!

Opinions

I was pleased to receive an honorary doctorate in Humanities from the University of Miami, and to join the graduates of the Class of 2017, from the School of Business Administration and the College of Engineering.

I was humbled by the opportunity to address the students at their graduation ceremony and share some personal and professional experiences with them. It fills me with joy and pride to think that the lessons I learned over the past five decades can help inspire the next generation to work hard and create ideas and initiatives to benefit others.

Thanks to technology, I can also share these insights with you today.

My message was to keep an open mind and a positive attitude, to learn to make mistakes and see each mistake as a learning opportunity, to understand that you can make an impact on the world in many ways, but it is essential to challenge assumptions, take on professional challenges, and always seek to offer fresh ideas and hard work. I was thinking about my audience when I offered this advice, but it was based both on my own experiences and on what I think they will encounter as they step out into this ever-evolving world.

I was proud and grateful to receive this recognition from the university of one of my most beloved cities: Miami; but I was even more honored by the responsibility to share a message to hundreds of people, and now to you, regarding the value of education as a tool to fight poverty and promote social change.

Our futures are intertwined, and this is why we should always question what we can offer the world and how we can make a difference.

I’d like to once again express my deepest gratitude to the University of Miami for this amazing opportunity to share such a special moment with the next generation of graduates.

View complete speech in English

View photos from the event

Gustavo CisnerosOpinions

A few days ago in the Dominican Republic, I had the honor of accompanying his Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain at the inauguration of the street which now bears his name in La Romana.

H.M. King Juan Carlos, alongside President Danilo Medina, cut the ribbon and declared the “Avenida Rey Juan Carlos I” inaugurated. This street provides direct access to Casa de Campo from the International Airport of Romana via the Coral motorway.

Ministers of the Presidency, Gustavo Montalvo and José Ramón Peralta, were also present at the ceremony as well as well-known businessmen José and Alfy Fanjul, Felipe Vicini and Ramón A. Méndez.

The Dominican Republic is one of King Juan Carlos’ most visited vacation places and he has become one of the country’s most loved visitors.

Opinions

It fills me with happiness and pride to share with you that on April 21, at the VII International Conference on Transatlantic Studies held at Brown University, Cisneros: A Family History 1570-2015 was launched. It is a book inspired by my father and it crystallizes one of his biggest desires: to unearth the family history for posterity.

The text is a first edition originally created as a personal archive, but on October 15, we will be launching the publication at the Royal Academy of History in Madrid, Spain, in a format designed for a much wider audience.

While researching and journeying through the past to create Cisneros: A Family History 1570-2015, I have realized that our family DNA is made up of defining elements from modernity, such as predicting changes, innovating to bring them about and the resilience needed to live them and lead them. These are characteristics I see every day in my children and grandchildren and they remind me that this publishing venture which started as a tribute to my father’s memory is also a legacy for them and a project to continue enriching for years to come.

The book was written by José Ángel Rodríguez, with a prolog by Carmen Iglesias and an epilogue by Professor Julio Ortega. It is thanks to them it has been possible to compile our roots and give my family this beautiful gift.

I have also included an introduction I wrote in which I explain why this dream was important to me and why I would love to share it with you. I hope you enjoy it…

Opinions

Recently, we have been pleased to see President Obama’s Administration take commendable steps towards improving relations with Cuba, by opening up travel to the Cuban-American community, allowing expanded remittances and purposeful travel for more Americans. Without a doubt, these are significant advances which empower the Cuban people and allow the two countries to be more connected than at any other time during the last fifty years.

Now more than ever, the United States can support Cuban people to decide their own future, by crystallizing political reforms that have already begun.

This is why a group of 46 members from the political, business and foundation sectors have written an open letter to President Obama to request he does not back down on this issue. We have listed four recommendations to deepen the reforms taking place in order to give greater freedom to both private organizations and individuals to become, either directly or indirectly, catalysts of change in Cuba:

1.       Expand and safeguard travel to Cuba

2.      Increase support to civilian society in Cuba

3.       Prioritize relations in areas of mutual interest

4.      Offer financial guarantees

I share with you the entire text, hoping we will soon see greater progress in relations between the United States and Cuba.