Unión de Escritores y Artistas de Cuba (cover designer: Héctor Villaverde, design: Héctor Villaverde, layout: Reina Segrera, director: Otto Fernández), "UNIÓN: Literatura RDA," late 1970s.

This special issue of UNIÓN magazine represents Cuba's cultural solidarity with the German Democratic Republic during the height of Cold War socialist internationalism. Published as a tribute to Karl Marx, the issue showcased contemporary East German literature to Cuban audiences, featuring works by prominent GDR writers including Joachim Nowotny, Eva Strittmatter, Erwin Strittmatter, Hermann Kant, Karl Mickel, Heinz Czechowski, Volker Braun, and many others.

The cover design by Héctor Villaverde employs bold, stacked typography with the words "LITERATURA RDA" (East German Literature) repeated in alternating colors of yellow, red, and black against a vibrant red background. This dynamic design echoes constructivist principles and creates visual rhythm through the overlapping letterforms, making the cover itself a statement about the power of literature and international solidarity. The repetition of "RDA" emphasizes the geographic and cultural focus while the color scheme evokes both German and Cuban revolutionary aesthetics.

In the editorial introduction, UNIÓN explains that this issue serves as both an honor and a pleasure to dedicate coverage to the creative work of the German people, paying homage to figures from Goethe to Marx. The magazine presents translations of contemporary GDR poetry and prose, offering Cuban readers a panorama of literary currents in East Germany during the 1970s. Translations of narrative works were completed by Gustavo Eguren, while poetry translations were handled by Eliseo Diego and Francisco de Oraá.

This cultural exchange reflects Cuba's deep ties with socialist bloc nations and UNEAC's commitment to introducing Cuban audiences to progressive international literature. The featured authors represent a generation of writers shaped by World War II, post-war reconstruction, and the socialist transformation of East Germany, many having received prestigious awards like the Heinrich Heine Prize, the National Prize for Literature, and recognition from the Writers' Union of the GDR.