Several activities are being held these days in greeting to the advent of the 224th anniversary of the foundation of Las Tunas, featured by organizations and institutions such as the Provincial Committee of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC). 

Among those that have occurred so far is the panel Homenaje a mi Ciudad (Homage to my City), which brought together the knowledge of three scholars of allegorical themes to the Balcón de Oriente (Balcony of Eastern Cuba, as Las Tunas is known because of its geographic location): the intellectual Carlos Tamayo, who was president of UNEAC in the province for three decades; Marina Lourdes Jacobo, current president of that organization; and Víctor Marrero, Historian of the City.

Lourdes shared a paper on Antonio Borrego, who died in 2019 and is considered by many the most important poet of his generation. In this sense, she enunciated arguments such as this: “Tony's creation stands as a work, his poems are worldview, irrefutable poetry that saves and seduces accompanied by signals transformed into resonances (…); it is the shelter where he encounters man.”

Marrero, for his part, discerned about historical events and personalities that marked the wars of independence here, where the patriot Vicente García (known as “The Lion of Santa Rita”) could not miss. In addition, he spoke about curiosities of the city, among which are its popular characters: Voy pasando (I am passing), Sapi sapi; Modesta Couso (Cucú), Siete sacos (Seven sacks), Felicidades (Congratulations), Asere; Manolito Villamar and, of course, Alberto Álvarez Jaramillo, better known as “El Comandante” (The Commander).

Tamayo also contributed the knowledge on interesting topics. Among the issues addressed was the work of the poets of the Cuban independence wars, which include Juan Cristóbal Napoles Fajardo (El Cucalambé), of whom this researcher is considered his main biographer. However, names such as Tomasa Varona, Francisco Valdés Rubalcaba, Eduardo Vidal Fontaine and others, came to light in his presentation.

The event, thus, became an interesting meeting, which allowed us to delve into local history and culture. Reading of poems, exhibitions, book presentations and other initiatives also honor the date of the founding, to be celebrated on September 30.