Born in Havana to a working-class family that valued education above all, Mercedes Valdés studied chemistry and spent 15 years as a teacher –until 1999, when tourism and communications called her name. What followed was a perfect pairing of culture and cigars, reshaping her career into something extraordinary.
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Twenty-six years ago, after a decade in academia, Mercedes traded the classroom for the pages of Excelencias Turísticas del Caribe, a premier travel magazine. There, she mastered advertising, PR, event planning, and marketing –skills that would later fuel her love affair with Cuban cigars.
Her introduction to habanos came through covering festivals for the magazine, where she immersed herself in tastings, pairings, and industry seminars. But it was in 2010, with the launch of Amigas del Habano, that her passion truly ignited.
“At first, I was drawn to the aromas, the flavors, but it was the stories behind each cigar that captivated me,” she recalls. “Visiting the factories, seeing how these treasures are rolled, that’s when I truly fell in love.”
Mercedes joined Amigas del Habano after an invitation from its founder, Zoe Nocedo, who had close ties to her magazine. What began as a sponsorship evolved into something deeper: Mercedes became a founding member and later joined the board of directors as their PR strategist.
Industry Women Rising
While Amigas del Habano isn’t directly tied to cigar production, Mercedes believes it gives women in the industry visibility and voice.
“Every achievement gets shared at our gatherings. These women –many of them rollers, blenders, brand ambassadors– now have a platform to tell their stories.”
She credits Cuban women for shattering every barrier in tobacco, achieving a hard-won sense of empowerment. Excelencias Turísticas del Caribe, has amplified their impact, publishing features that circulate in factories, Habanos S.A. headquarters, and Casas del Habano worldwide.
On the 15th anniversary of Amigas del Habano, Mercedes reflects on the challenges –navigating Cuba’s economic hurdles while building a community that thrives on knowledge, sisterhood, and shared passion.
“We’ve survived and evolved. Every year, we add new voices, new stories. That’s the power of this movement.”
