We were once told that to succeed as a media outlet and a magazine specializing in the Tobacco World, we needed to feature grand stories of multi-generational tobacconists and empires. Fortunately, we ignored that advice. Instead, the covers of Humo Latino became filled with the dreams and stories of extraordinary people who are seeking to write their own chapter in the industry.
These are men and women with a background in tobacco or who are just starting their own journey –people who never thought they would have the opportunity to appear on the cover of an international magazine. Through this platform, they can give visibility and position their ventures, which is the case for 80 percent of the boutique cigar brands we feature on our covers.
We like to think that by giving this opportunity to men, women, partners, and organizations, we are working to tip the scales a bit. We give a voice, a space, and a platform to stories that deserve to be told, helping to boost a sector that, we believe, is the salt and pepper of this industry.
That’s not to say we don’t recognize the legacy of the world’s great tobacco companies. They have been an inspiration and a school for many in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Nicaragua, the United States, and Honduras. They will always have a place and a voice in the pages of Humo Latino. But every story, every company, has a beginning.
In Honduras, the Banco de Occidente has a corporate motto that perfectly expresses the spirit of our team and our entire company: “By supporting the small of today, we create the great of tomorrow.”
That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? As “El Profesor,” José Blanco, put it so well during an interview at the PCA 2023 Trade Show: “The tobacco industry is the most beautiful in the world, because in it, you are not judged by the color of your skin, your religious beliefs, the price of your cigar, or your profession and social class.”
Everyone has a place.
This is the very spirit that drives us to feature the stories of these new ventures on the covers of our digital magazines, in both Spanish and English. We like to think that we are contributing, hand in hand with each of our featured people, to creating a more diverse and inclusive industry.
