Remembering Fidel: The Comandante's imprint on his land
- Written by Lourdes Pichs Rodríguez
- Published in Holguin
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Photos: Archives
In Holguín, many stories and anecdotes about Fidel Castro are remembered, as he always brought new ideas for the province’s progress during his visits and fulfill many of the requests made by the people gathered in front of the La Periquera Museum, where he addressed the people of this eastern territory for the first time on February 26, 1959.
Miguel José Cano Blanco, who was the first Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba in Holguín, recounts a significant anecdote about the construction of the Vocational School of Exact Sciences.
Early one Sunday morning, we went out to explore the micro-location of what would become the José Martí Vocational School of Exact Sciences, planned for an enrollment of 4,500 students.
“We were advancing toward the site along the highway leading to the east of the province, when I pointed out that the land designated for the school was just a pasture, Fidel calmly responded: “Then you don’t feel the joy that I do in seeing first the pasture and later thousands of Cuban adolescents coming out of their classrooms to the sports areas and workshops...” The school was inaugurated in 1977 and benefited thousands of young people from Holguín, Las Tunas, and Granma,” he recalls.
Cano also recalled that during their trip they were accompanied by very few companions: the driver, the escort, and a photographer. “So we moved forward, searching for agricultural land and possible water sources. We arrived at the Mayabe Valley, where both treasures existed: water and fertile soil. Thus, the Mayabe school orchard, the recreation park, and other important projects were born.”
“From the heights of the Mirador de Mayabe,” Cano asserts, “the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution proposed several ideas that led to the construction of the micro-dam, swimming pool, motocross track, and the Japanese amusement park
We also owe the Commander in Chief the suggestion of the Botanical Garden, the livestock or agricultural fair, and its rodeo.With this remembrance, Cano wishes to highlight Fidel’s lasting imprint in his homeland, highlighting his constant concern and actions for the development and welfare of the people of Holguín, as the main thrust of the Revolution.
