Gaspar Roca | Editor in Puerto Rico, 80
Gaspar Roca, 80, a journalist who founded the Puerto Rican daily El Vocero and directed its coverage for more than three decades, has died.
Gaspar Roca, 80, a journalist who founded the Puerto Rican daily El Vocero and directed its coverage for more than three decades, has died.
Mr. Roca died Sunday of respiratory failure at his home in San Juan, according to a statement by his family Monday.
He founded El Vocero in 1974 and worked as its editor until his death. The newspaper is considered one of the major dailies in the U.S. territory, with a circulation of 132,000.
Oscar Serrano, president of the Puerto Rico Journalists Association, credited Mr. Roca with improving press freedom on the island by pushing several court challenges, including a 1980s case in which the U.S. Supreme Court opened preliminary criminal hearings in Puerto Rico to the public.
- Associated Press