After 1959, Liborio was part of that generation of photographers who witnessed what became known as the "epic of the Revolution." He worked in the journal INRA, the Revolution newspaper and was a founder of the newspaper Granma.
Few in Cuba can display an array of images as those Liborio had: the mass rallies of the early years of the Revolution, the Literacy Campaign, the wars in Vietnam and Nicaragua, the Congress of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba … From each of the main events of the last 50 years on the island and artists, intellectuals and Cuban leaders, Liborio had pictures and stories, such as those collected in the book by Luis Baez So Fidel , or others who he liked to tell in private, such as the time that Fidel made a portrait along with Korda, Corrales and Roberto Salas or that time when Che took his camera to take photos and his difficulties photographing Che, who did not like being portrayed.
His extensive career in photojournalism includes more than 30 prizes in national and international competitions, among other awards, the National Journalism Prize José Martí, the National Culture Distinction, Distinction Elmuza Felix, of the Union of Journalists Cuba and the Alejo Carpentier Medal, Ministry of Culture. He had made numerous personal exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions. He published books of photographs Despite … (on Vietnam) and Snapshots, which gathers 77 images of Fidel over 40 years.
However, in this sad hour, when we first found out that he will not press the shutter of his camera, not only to evoke the "Giant" of photography, but also the selfless and humble man who helped many young photojournalists in their infancy, the close friend, collaborator of The Jiribilla, who maintained a section of updating our site and who we were always asking for help and one day appeared in the headquarters of the magazine with all his photos in high resolution and, before our eyes in astonishment said: "This is for use when you want …".
LIBORIO NOVAL (1934 – 2012)
Cuba 50 