Casa de las Américas (cover designer: Umberto Peña, director: Roberto Fernández Retamar, chief editor: Emmanuel Tornés Reyes), "Casa de las Américas, Número 126, Mayo-Junio 1981," May-June 1981. Offset print, magazine.

This issue of Casa de las Américas (Number 126, May-June 1981) features a bold and provocative cover design by Umberto Peña presenting a large red and white stop sign with "PARE" (Spanish for "STOP") mounted on a yellow pole against a vivid blue background—a powerful visual statement that likely addresses themes of resistance and opposition during the height of Cold War tensions. Published under Roberto Fernández Retamar's direction with Emmanuel Tornés Reyes as chief editor, this issue highlights the 1981 Casa de las Américas Literary Prize and the Meeting of Latin American and Caribbean Writers, reinforcing the institution's role as the premier platform for revolutionary cultural exchange. The stop sign imagery serves as both a striking graphic element and a symbolic call to halt imperialism, aggression, or cultural domination, reflecting the magazine's commitment to Third World solidarity and anti-imperialist discourse. This issue appeared during a period of intense regional conflict, including civil wars in Central America and heightened US intervention in Latin America, making the "PARE" message particularly resonant as a call for peace and resistance to foreign interference. The minimalist yet commanding design demonstrates Cuban graphic design's sophisticated use of universal symbols to communicate complex political messages while maintaining the magazine's role as a beacon of Latin American intellectual and artistic unity.