José Alpizar, 2015 winner
Strict media controls in Cuba have resulted in the creation of an underground, secret distribution network for uncensored information. OCB’s José Alpizar champions this vital “hand-to-hand” network.
Working directly with Martí reporters and producers and with a list of contacts in Cuba yearning for unbiased news, Alpizar has grown, in just two years, a small DVD duplication program to a complex distribution system that today boasts 15,000 DVDs a month handed out door-to-door and on street corners across Cuba.
In addition to DVDs, Alpizar has led the way to the distribution of flash drives carrying gigabytes of not only Martí audio and video content, but also information on research and development of WiFi and over-the-air television signal broadcasts inside of Cuba-free from government control. With his transmission engineering skills and unwavering dedication, Alpizar has single-handedly nurtured a network of dedicated Cuban citizens to disseminate Radio and Television Martí content throughout the island.