Luna de Letras Prize Awarded to Matanzas Poet Luis Lexandel Pita

The work Mujeres de papel bajo la lluvia (Paper Women in the Rain) by Matanzas poet Luis Lexandel Pita García obtained the 2026 Luna de Letras Poetry Prize.

Convened by Editorial Lunetra, based in Tampa, United States, the poetry collection was distinguished unanimously by the jury, which highlighted its literary merits and the strength of a new lyrical voice.

Of 26 works submitted, the jury, presided over by poet Maite Glaría, editor of Lunetra, and also composed of bards Lídice Megla and Félix Luis Viera, first selected eight finalists.

The sample brought together voices from different countries and confirmed that «poetry finds ways to cross borders, bring sensibilities together, and turn the written word into a common territory.»

During the ceremony, Pablo J. Socorro, president of Editorial Lunetra, congratulated the author and thanked him for his participation in the contest. He also stressed that for the publishing house it is an enormous satisfaction to contribute to the recognition and dissemination of new voices, and reaffirmed his conviction that poetry continues to be an indispensable territory for sensitivity, reflection, and creative freedom.

For his part, Pita García thanked the organizers on social networks and dedicated this recognition to the writers of the Island, both those in Cuba and those abroad.

In a special way, he remembered his wife, writer María Cristina Martínez Herrera, «wherever she may be within and outside this earthly plane.»

Luis Lexandel has been awarded in contests in Cuba, Spain, and Colombia for more than a decade and stands out for the philosophical atmosphere of his verses.