CUBA - Revista Mensual was Cuba's premier monthly illustrated magazine during the revolutionary period, published in Havana and distributed internationally to promote Cuban revolutionary achievements and cultural diplomacy.
This August 1967 issue, Year VI, Number 64, documents Cuba's participation in Expo '67, the international exposition held in Montreal, Canada. The feature article "Pabellón Cuba: Una revolución es así" (Cuba Pavilion: This is what a revolution is like) showcases Cuba's modernist pavilion designed to represent revolutionary achievements on the world stage. The cover text describes the Cuban Pavilion as "un puente sobre la incomunicación, una expansiva muestra de ideas revolucionarias, tan dinámica como la misma Revolución" (a bridge over incommunication, an expansive display of revolutionary ideas, as dynamic as the Revolution itself). Photography by legendary Cuban photographers Korda and Roberto Salas documents the architectural marvel and crowds visiting the pavilion.
The cover design is a sophisticated example of 1960s Cuban graphic design, featuring a central photograph of the Cuban Pavilion's bold modernist architecture—angular volumes cantilevered in dynamic composition with the word "CUBA" prominently displayed. This photographic document is surrounded by an elaborate decorative border consisting of multiple horizontal stripes in vibrant colors: yellow, green, red, blue, pink, and black, creating an Op Art-like vibrating frame. The striped pattern suggests both technological modernity and tropical chromatic exuberance, while the layered geometric borders create depth and visual richness. The design balances documentary photography with decorative graphic elements, reflecting Cuba's ambition to present itself as both architecturally progressive and culturally distinctive on the international stage during the height of the Cold War. Expo '67 provided Cuba with a crucial platform for cultural diplomacy and counter-narrative to U.S. isolation policies.