Fidel, what did he speak about for the first time with the people of Holguín?

On February 26, 1959, from the balconies of the current La Periquera Provincial Museum, the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, addressed the people of Holguín for the first time.

The meeting, like others held by Fidel throughout the island, had the objective of identifying the main concerns and needs of the territory. Thus, from the first months, the Revolution legitimized itself by projecting future actions based on popular proposals.

Holguín's shortcomings were not very different from those of the rest of the country. Hospitals, schools, building the sewers, paving the streets and other public services were needed. But among the people's requests, it transcended the desire to have their own higher education institution.

In the speech, Fidel warned: the problems would not be solved immediately, but they would not lack a solution.

"Last night I explained to the representatives of the civic institutions that the most complicated problem at the moment and that I could not solve immediately, was the problem of the University," he said.

He asked for trust and assured that, eventually, the province would have its own house of higher studies. And he fulfilled his promise.

In 1965, he inaugurated the Vladimir Ilich Lenin hospital, a work that symbolized, as he expressed on that occasion, “the triumph of a policy in the field of public health, signifies the moment in which this province, and in particular this region of this province, went from the most absolute hardship in the field of public health to a situation so satisfactory that it can well be said that there is no other equal in any other country on this continent”.

In 1973 the University of Holguín opened its doors, which at first worked as a subsidiary of the University of Oriente (Santiago de Cuba) and obtained its autonomy in 1995, due to the high level achieved in relation to scientific research, teaching and the postgraduate training.

The possibilities of accessing university education in the territory were diversified with the foundation of the faculties of Medical Sciences, Physical Culture, the Higher Pedagogical Institute and the Higher Mining Metallurgical Institute of Moa.

On the other hand, the territory was endowed with tools and opportunities for its economic development.

“In relation to the food industry, one of the largest ice factories in the eastern provinces was recently built in the city of Holguín, a modern pasteurizer and yogurt factory, a cheese factory, a candy factory, a bakery and a soft drink factory are currently being built ", he said at the inauguration ceremony of the KTP Sugarcane Harvester Factory" 60 Aniversario de la Revolución de Octubre. "

“In relation to other industrial branches, the following were built: a modern sanitary furniture factory, a tile factory, a pipe factory for aqueducts and sewers, similar to the one just completed in Camagüey, a sugarcane harvester factory, and near here, neighboring it, the construction of another great mechanical industry is already beginning: the factory of agricultural implements. The oxygen factory is also built. Never has this region experienced such an industrial boom...”

As Fidel assured that February 26, '59, the solutions materialized in the course of the second half of the last century and to this day, they continue to provide benefits to the people of Holguín.