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Santiago de Cuba, birthplace and bread
20August
Articles

Santiago de Cuba, birthplace and bread

The five hundred years of Santiago de Cuba are already a transcendent historical and cultural fact, as the success of call for the Feast of Fire in its thirty-five editions, this time dedicated to the Bahamas, and the creation of a network of Caribbean Carnivals, represented by more than a dozen countries.

The Excellencies Group proposed to inform the world about the event, and our 39  media, published in six languages, have published around 1400 digital and printed journalistic materials, more than three thousand seven hundred photographs and more than eight hundred twenty publications which have had more than 26 076 000 readings in 160 countries as part of the Excellencies Group project that was called Santiago 365, in addition to conducting an international seminar on food, a case number and a witness multimedia dedicated to the fifth anniversary of the foundation.

The 25th edition of Art by Excellencies is therefore part of our celebration, giving voice to the declaration as National Monument the first underwater Park in the Island in the Bay of Santiago de Cuba, and the recognition to the Santiago carnival as a world heritage of the nation.

But there is an event, so significant for its ethical and human resulting, 117 years after Admiral Cervera encouraged his sailors to wear the uniform of gala the night of July 3, before facing the mighty Yankees battleships: the unveiling of a plate twelve meters deep and with the National, Monument on the deck of the wreck of the battleship Admiral Oquendo on the Siboney beach, to honor the memory of the three hundred Spaniards who died in the naval battle, who were dedicated an offering of laurels under the water surface.

As a witness of time, there is an image that I will carry with me forever: when Dr. Angel Luis Cervera cries embracing the monolith, despite being in full immersion, and the threat of running out of air in his lungs. We had gone down to kiss the plate, all with divers specialists, but he spent more than half a bottle of oxygen to pay his personal tribute to the great-grandfather he has defended with passion because there was no surrender, but unequal combat, when the ships of the Spanish Navy, under the command of Vice Admiral Pascual Cervera y Topete, went out firing their guns, harassed by the entrance of the bay, in order to conform with honor and courage the command received from Spain.

In the Castle San Pedro de la Roca, World Heritage Site, was surrendered honor guard before the two plaques, unveiled by Montalvan Francisco Carrasco, Ambassador of Spain, and Julian Gonzalez, Minister of Culture of Cuba; the Hero City Hall has appointed distinguished visitors Dr. Angel Luis Cervera and Pascual Cervera, president of the Cervera Foundation; in the Hall of the Windows of the Antonio Maceo Revolution Square have been exposed Admiral Pedro García Paredes and Lieutenant Commander John Estigas their investigations on a naval battle that marked the end of an empire and the birth of another, and it preceded the recognition of Cuba as State though it was neocolonial by that time, with US naval base in Caimanera-, all this says a lot about the times.

It was another act of historical justice. A beautiful recognition of the brotherhood that unites us, and a great vision of the Cuban authorities, for the rescue and maintenance of this heritage will be another attractive cultural treasures for local development and the promotion of an already booming tourism dizzying pace in the first six months of 2015.


Thank you so much, Santiago, birthplace and bread, five centuries in the heart of the world.


Jose Carlos de Santiago, President Excellencies Group