Holguin

Holguín is the third largest province in Cuba , with an area representing 8.6% of the total surface of the island, with 14 municipalities, in which 1,112 population settlements are located, of which 43 are urban.

In Cuba it is called by several names: “Holguín province”, “Holguín province” or simply “Holguín”. ^[2] [3]

Although Holguín was traditionally an agricultural region, it is now one of Cuba’s main industrial zones. Known as the land of nickel , its production contributes 20% of the country’s economic income through exports.

Tourism has achieved remarkable development in recent years. It is considered the third most important tourist center in the country. It has many natural attractions and, par excellence, unparalleled beauty in its fields and beaches.

In Cuba it is called by several names: “Holguín province”, “Holguín province” or simply “Holguín”. ^[2] [3]

Although Holguín was traditionally an agricultural region, it is now one of Cuba’s main industrial zones. Known as the land of nickel , its production contributes 20% of the country’s economic income through exports.

Tourism has achieved remarkable development in recent years. It is considered the third most important tourist center in the country. It has many natural attractions and, par excellence, unparalleled beauty in its fields and beaches.

Generalities

Geographic boundaries. To the north: Atlantic Ocean . To the east: Guantánamo Province. To the south: Santiago de Cuba and Granma Provinces . To the west: Las Tunas Province .

Longest river : Mayarí River: 110 km long, 1231 km² area; and 15.8 m²/s flow rate

Physical geography . The heights of Maniabón , the Cauto Plain , the Nipe Plain , and the Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa Mountains predominate . Its hydrography is represented by the Mayarí , Gibara , Sagua de Tánamo , and Tacajó rivers and the Gibara, Cacoyugüin , and Sabanilla reservoirs , as well as the bays of Gibara , Banes , and Nipe . The soils that prevail are reddish-brown ferromagnesial fersialitic, reddish-brown fersialitic, and dark plastic gleyized.

Capital: Holguin

Municipalities. By virtue of Law No. 1304, Article 13 dictated the emergence of the “Province of Holguín” (with de ), coming from the former regions Moa-Sagua-Mayarí, Holguín-Gibara and Banes-Antilla, with 14 municipalities, with Holguín being the main municipality or capital of the province. ^[2] This province occupies the third place ―together with Pinar del Río and Matanzas ― in number of municipalities.

• Gibara
• Rafael Freyre
• Banes
• Antilles
• Baguanos
• Holguin
• Calixto Garcia
• Cacocum
• Urbano Noris (Municipality)
• Cueto
• Mayari
• Frank Pais
• Sagua de Tanamo
• Moa

Relevant places of interest

• Banes
• Historic Centre of Gibara
• Maita stream
• Bariay Cay
• Seboruco Cliffs
• Jagüeyes
• Lucretia Lighthouse
• Mayari
• Moaand Urbano Noris
• Guardalavaca
• Hill of the Cross
• The parks of Holguin
• Blind Estuary Emerald Beach
• Fishing
• Don Lino
• Puerto Rico in Banes
• Moralesand Corinthia
• Places of archaeological interest (El Chorro de Maíta de Banesand Nipe Bay )
• Biran Historical Complex. Birthplace of Fidel Castro Ruz , Raul Castro Ruz and their brothers in Biran , Cueto , Holguin , Cuba .
• Bitirí Natural Bridgelocated in Cueto .

History

Main article: History of Holguín Province .

Foundation of the city of San Isidorio de Holguín

As a reward for his actions in the conquest of Mexico , Francisco García Holguín received a royal grant by which the territories located south of the fence, between the rivers he called Fernando and Isabel, today Jigüe and Marañon, which was the name given by the aborigines , became his property. In 1545 García Holguín, his wife Doña Isabel Fernández de Sandoval and some followers founded the first hamlet, for which they used the indigenous people of the area.

Historians suggest that García Holguín returned to Mexico, where he owned extensive properties, but died in these lands. From this first halo, the following auras were formed around him: Managuaco , Los Guazumas ( Guásimas ), Las Cuevas , Cayo Llano , etc. On April 3, 1720 , the eve of San Isidoro , the church of this name was inaugurated, also placing it under the patronage of Our Lady of the Rosary, to whom the chapel to the right of the new temple was dedicated.

In 1752, the paternal names San Idelfonso and San Miguel were added, giving their names to the streets (Aricochea and Luz Caballero). When Havana was occupied by the English, they tried to invade the northern area of ​​the former eastern province, resulting in a clash between the troops and the people of Holguín, in the territories between Auras and Gibara , on May 19 , 1745 , the English troops had to withdraw with more than 70 casualties.

In 1752, Holguín became the fourth city in the country to obtain this status. At that time, according to Morell de Santa Cruz, it had 1,291 white people and 135 slaves, and there were 211 houses of rustic and simple construction, where there was only one public school run by Luis González de Rivera . In 1863 there were already 76 sugar mills, 753 tobacco fields and hundreds of rustic farms run by slaves, which shows the growth of the territorial area.

Labor movement before the triumph of the Revolution (1959)

The workers’ movement played an important role in the struggle to improve the living and working conditions necessary for themselves, their families and the exploited people in general. The first tobacco workers’ union in the Holguín region came into being in 1918 , during the government of Mario García Menocal , led by Américo García Calderín, Sixto Correa, Elpidio Nacles and Manuel Alejandro Ochoa.

The latter was not only one of the promoters of the aforementioned guild, but also one of the driving forces of the construction, bakers’ and shoemakers’ guilds in the region, thus contributing to the creation of the Municipal Federation of Holguín in 1924 and which he represented, a year later, at the National Workers’ Congress, held in Cienfuegos from February 15 to 18 , where he was part of the Drafting Committee of the Regulations of the Workers’ Confederation of Camaguey , in August of that same year.

In 1922 , the tobacco workers of Gibara went on strike, in which Manuel Ignacio Fabaz (at that time president of the Tobacco Federation of Oriente and Camaguey) intervened. According to the writings of historian Jacobo Urbino Ochoa, Fabaz recommended that the youngest workers leave Gibara during the strike , which could be seen as a bad decision that allowed the presence of strikebreakers at the request of the bosses, frustrating the workers’ objectives.

The main founders and participants of the Holguin bakers’ guild were the brothers Francisco and Leopoldo Domenech and Alfredo Días, who later became part of the ranks of the Communist Party . The Banes Workers’ Union was initially called the Provincial Workers’ Union of the East and was registered with the Provincial Government of the East on March 14 , 1923 .

Geography

The province of Holguín is located in the north of the eastern part of the country. It is the fourth largest province with 9,300.6 km², with the municipality of Mayarí being the largest with 1,308.4 km². The northernmost point is Playa Juan Antonio in Gibara , the southernmost is Arroyo Blanco in Sagua de Tánamo , the easternmost is Boca del Río Jiguaní in Moa and the westernmost is Sabanazo in the Calixto García Municipality . It is bordered to the north by the Atlantic Ocean , to the south by the provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba , to the east by Guantánamo and to the west by Las Tunas .

Holguín has a privileged geographical location, with 350 km of coastline. It has beautiful beaches and interesting geographical features, such as the bays of Gibara , Banes and Nipe , the latter being the largest in Cuba and considered one of the largest in the world.

Relief

It is characterized by a complicated and unique relief, related to the lithological (rocks) and tectonic (structural) conditions. In the territory three main regions can be distinguished: The plains that border the coast and the central – southern area of ​​the province (Llanura de Nipe and del Cauto), with heights between 0.50 m, which present an abrasive character of the coast in the interior of the province, cumulative with fragments of marine terraces, beaches, in some sectors and marginal swamps with mangroves in others.

The central-southern area is occupied by plains of marine origin, through which important rivers currently flow with the presence of fluvial forms and complexes, presenting a pronounced development of alluvial deposits. In the western sector, the undulating and hilly denudative plains, which border the Maniabón elevation system and reach heights between 50 – 100 m, with slopes between 0 and 8%.

The valleys are aligned, as are the chains of elevations in an east-west direction and the effects of differential erosion are evident throughout the area. With heights of between 100 and 300 m, the Maniabón system of elevations or hills appears , with a unique morphology. In the heights and hilly areas, with slopes between 8 and 15 %, erosive/karstic and denudational processes are observed that form typical hills with steep slopes and flat tops (mogotes).

The highest point in this sector is the Galano Hill, which is 459 m high. In the eastern sector, there are the foothills of Mayarí , Sierra Cristal and Sagua-Baracoa, with heights between 100 and 300 m and the mountainous areas of the same name, with heights between 300 and 750 m and more, whose highest point is Pico Cristal , which is 1,231 m high, the highest point in the province. These mountains constitute tectonic erosive blocks, where territic weathering crusts appear, with a high content of iron , nickel and other minerals. Many rivers run through the territory, including the Mayarí, Sagua de Tánamo and Nipe, the first being the largest at 106 km long, and the Sagua with the highest flow, as well as numerous streams and springs.

Flora and fauna

The province of Holguín has one of the richest floras in terms of endemic species in Cuba, due to the presence of large areas of its territory covered by plant formations that develop on soils originating from ultrabasic rocks (serpentine). These formations range from mangroves in coastal areas to tropical forests, which are known as cuabales and charrascales.

In the province, the cuabales are found mainly around the city of Holguín and cover a large part of the plains and small elevations of the municipalities of Rafael Freyre , Báguanos and Holguín; while the charrascales are found in the mountains of the municipalities of Mayarí , Frank País , Sagua de Tánamo and Moa . Among the most significant species of the Holguín flora, we can mention the rose of savannah , the dwarf cactus , the apamate (or oak of savannah ), the Jaca randá ar bórea , the yuraguana (or miraguano ), etc.

Holguin flower

Pine jasmine or manchineel , provincial flower of Holguín.

Holguín is located in one of the richest territories in terms of biological diversity in the Cuban archipelago, displaying a heterogeneity of ecosystems from the coast to the mountains where notable species for regional and global biological diversity live; it is precisely in the northern mountains where the bulk of Cuba’s diversity and endemism is concentrated.

There are approximately 4,000 species of higher plants, of which 2,000 are endemic (of the approximately 3,000 that make up the Flora of Cuba). In the eastern part there are the areas with the greatest floristic wealth, such as the Sierra de Nipe with 750 endemics (of which 120 are strictly local, that is, local endemics, and the Sierra de Moa with more than a thousand).

The botanical families with the greatest number of endemic species in the Holguín territory are: Rubiaceae , Asteaceae and Bignoniacae .

An element to highlight is the presence of some especially important genera in the evolutionary scale of higher plants such as the presence of the genera: Magnolia and Talauma in the mountains of Nipe-Baracoa, the presence of monotypic genera (made up of a single species) such as Harnakia Dasytropis .

Plants that give particularity to the territory: ^[4]

• Pine jasmineor manzanillo ( Euphorbia podocarpifolia , formerly called Euphorbiodendron linearifolium , Mill   ) is a plant strictly endemic to the territory of the province, from Moa to Cerro Galano. This plant was proposed and approved in the late eighties as the “flower of the province”. This red flower has been chosen as a symbol of the province for its delicate and beautiful appearance and for its history related to the independence struggles: it is said that the latex of the said plant was used by Afro-Cuban cooks who supported the mambises (Cuban revolutionaries) to cause diarrhea in Spanish soldiers and thus, obviously, reduce their fighting spirit. ^[5]
• Holguín dwarf cactus ( Neobesseya cubensis) , strict endemic.
• juniper ( Juniperus lucayana), mentioned by José Martí in his campaign diary.
• guana ( Hidelgardia cubensis) , a Cuban endemic plant whose area once extended to the province of Camagüey , but this area has been reduced and the best populations are now found in the limestone soils of the coast of Holguín, mainly between Guardalavaca and Bahía de Vita, this plant was in high demand for the goodness of its fiber to make hats, and even pants in the wars of independence. Among the most notable species are the polymitas , which stand out for their color and beauty.

Bird of Holguin

Holguín is home to Cuba’s national bird, the tocororo or tocororo trogon ( Priotelus temnurus ) , which is a species of bird in the quetzal family .

Interesting species are shown for their size, albinism and hybridism. Among the largest, the giant variety of the snail Liguu fasciatus stands out , the Almiquí (Solenodon cubanus), the largest living insectivore today; and the royal woodpecker ( Campephillus principalis ) , last seen in 1986.

Among the smallest in the world are the dwarf scorpion ( Microtityu fundorai ) which measures 13 mm in length, the zunzuncito or fly bird ( Mellisuga helenae ) with 63 mm in length, and the Monte I beria frog ( Eleutherodactylus iberia ) of 10 mm. mm in length.

The almiqui .

Climate

The climate of the province of Holguín is humid tropical, with two well-defined periods, one of rain and another of less precipitation: the first extends from May to October (although for some scholars it extends until November ) in this period the rainiest month is October, the second, called the month of less rain, goes from November (remember the above) to April with a drier month, February ; In addition, it can be added that rainfall varies from the interior to the coast and from west to east throughout the province.

Due to the province’s surface area and its morphological complexity, climatically they are divided into three well-defined areas, typified by their temperature , rainfall and wind characteristics. The first, the inland zone, geographically characterized by hills and flat areas, which is not directly influenced by the ocean, in this area rainfall is caused mainly by daily warming, the average temperature records are the highest in the provincial area, historically located between 24.0 and 25.6  °C , with an annual oscillation of 4.0 °C between the coldest month (February) and the warmest (August).

The second, the so-called coastal zone, is characterized by the direct influence of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean with less diurnal thermal oscillation than the previous zone, the annual average is 26.5  °C and its annual thermal oscillation is also 4.0  °C , with February as the coldest month and July and August warmer with a very similar thermal behavior. The third and last area, the mountainous area in the east of the province influenced by its altitude, where the highest and lowest thermal records and the highest rainfall occur, the lowest historical average is in January and February as the coldest and the highest in July and August.

As can be seen, the climatic characterization of the province is given by the influence of different factors that modify the thermal and rainfall behavior in the area, which in turn modify the relative humidity, direction and speed of the wind and cloudiness. In the case of Moa, it presents special climatic conditions, with the highest rainfall occurring in October and December and in all months it is greater than 108 mm.

Coastal zone: covers the municipalities of Gibara to Banes, it is the area with the highest radiation values ​​with average temperatures of 24.4  °C in February (coldest month) up to 28.4 °C in July and August. The wind blows predominantly from the east, with an average annual speed of 4 m/s. This area presents the maximum conditions of stifling heat that during the day reach extreme magnitudes.

Inland plains: in these municipalities the average temperature varies from 22.8  °C in February to 27.1 °C in July, with continental characteristics in its thermal regime. The rainfall regime is higher than in the coastal zone, with an average of 77% of the annual value of precipitation during the rainy season, sometimes exceeding 100 mm. The wind direction is from NE to ENE with average speeds of 10.9 to 16.4 km/h, with long periods of calm at night and in the early morning.

Climatology of precipitation from 1981-2010

Köppen Climate Classification

Average annual air temperature 1981-2010

Mountainous area : characterized by high rainfall and cool temperatures throughout the year with averages between 19.1  ° C and 23.4 ° C. The wind has its orographic peculiarities, during the dry months its direction is NE with an average speed of 10.8 to 12.6 km / h, in the rest of the months it can blow from the SSE (south-southeast) and east with much lower records. Studies carried out by specialists from the Provincial Meteorological Center show that climatic variability has had a negative impact on the climate of the territory, the sequence of ENOS (El Niño) and AENOS (La Niña) events has caused an increase in harmful phenomena to the economy and the environment such as severe droughts, severe local storms, heavy rains, increased aridity, soil salinity , among others.

Attributes and symbols

Holguin Axe

The Axe of Holguin

On May 28, 1981 , the Axe of Holguín was declared a symbol of the territory by Resolution No. 44. Since it was discovered in 1860 by an officer of the Spanish Army, it has been known by that name. Built by groups of agricultural potters in the 15th century , its artistic value makes it an exceptional work within the Cuban aboriginal culture.

Made from olive-green peridotite , it has a distinctive stamp that made it significant among its kind. It represents an anthropomorphic, male figure with a diadem on top and arms placed over the chest. The piece measures 350 mm in length, 76 mm in width and 48 mm in thickness.

A replica of the axe has been given to high-ranking personalities who have visited Holguín, work or study centers, avant-garde workers and prominent figures of culture and science, who have made meritorious contributions to the town and the country. Among these are Fidel and Raúl Castro , Maurice Bishop (president of Granada ), Silvio Rodríguez , José A. García Castañeda (historian of Holguín), Eusebio Leal and Antonio Núñez Jiménez , among others.

Hymn

On May 17, 1870 , the colonel of the Liberation Army, Pedro Martínez Freyre, composed the lyrics for the Holguin anthem. The music is attributed to José María Ochoa , a notable composer and musician. When the events of the Demajagua were still fresh in his mind and he was surrounded by Holguin residents in a euphoric phase, as they expected the arrival of expeditions with weapons and ammunition to the coasts of the territory; its author, with a patriotic gesture, created the stanzas of this warrior anthem that called for freedom on the island from the Spanish yoke, calling on the residents of Holguin to join the Liberation Army .

Lyrics of the Anthem

To the battle, brave Holguiners
Do not fear the tyrant’s anger
Nor bend your forehead like servants
Before the wicked despot of Spain

We are free. It is announced by the sound
That spreads from the wind in the wings
Of the cannon, the tremendous boom
And the continuous whistling of the bullets.

Freedom, freedom. In your name
the soul beats with joy in the chest.
Freedom, freedom. For you, man
leaves his wealth and his roof joyfully.

That a grave is a thousand times sweeter
Than life in deep silence,
And in the peace of the slave shameful
Just mockery and scorn of the world.

The surviving score was written by the Holguín musician Porfirio Sánchez according to the testimony of the Mambi soldier Sigifredo Urbino Guillén , a musician in Manuel Avilés ‘ orchestra .

City coat of arms

Main article: Coat of arms of Holguín .

Coat of arms of the municipality

The coat of arms was made, but not to the liking of the Holguin Council, since the feats of arms were not represented. The file was shelved and forgotten until 1818. When Eusebio Escudero was appointed Governor of Cuba, he took the request to the Supreme Council of India, which in addition to the coat of arms requested other favors such as: the treatment of illustrious people for the Holguin council and the use of uniforms for its staff.

It was not until 1831 when Ferdinand VII approved a Royal Decree, that they had to pay a certain amount of money to the Royal Treasuries of the district in order to make the official recognition of each one of them effective; in the meantime, they could not use them. The Holguin coat of arms is remarkably simple. It was conceived in a heart-shaped outline, which at the top and in the center has a helmet with five feathers.

Inside, there are drawings of the figures of the two patron saints of the city: Saint Isidore , who was Bishop of Seville, to whom García Holguín had entrusted his herd and who later gave his name to the San Isidoro de Holguín statue, and the Virgin of the Rosary, patron saint of the inhabitants of Holguín when it was founded. Both hold the Spanish crown. In the lower part, at the level of the feet of the figures of the patron saints, some hills were drawn that are thought to represent those of the Maniabón group.

In 1995, the coat of arms representing the entire province was approved.

Culture

Traditions and customs

The cultural traditions of Holguín have their origin in the transculturation that took place between the Aboriginal, Hispanic and African ethnic groups . These last two components represent the basic trunks of this process. Other ethnic groups that arrived in the 20th century from the English and French speaking Caribbean , mainly Jamaicans and Haitians, also had an influence .

Among the oldest festive traditions, known since the 18th century , are the patron saint festivals, the altars of the cross, those of May and the Romerías de la Cruz de Mayo , the latter in the city of Holguín; all of them with true Hispanic antecedents in their beginnings, later, the Creole population gave it its particular stamp.

The peasant Guateques are still celebrated, where the traditional music is the son montuno , the guajiro point being that of the décima , the oldest music of the peasantry, in which the string instruments take the lead.

Syncretic cult festivals are also practiced. In Sagua de Tánamo, the tumba inglesa (French Tumba) dance is still performed, which is of French-Haitian origin.

The organ , a musical instrument introduced in the 20th century, enlivens popular festivals. There is a tradition in Holguín in the construction and execution of this instrument. Today, many of the best cultural traditions have been rescued, such as ballroom dancing , Lanceros Mayariceros and Lanceros Holguineros , among others.

Casabe , an aboriginal legacy that is still present in the culinary culture of Holguín and together with roasted suckling pig, constitutes a typical Cuban meal. Basketry , weaving with vegetable fibers and crochet are the most widespread artisan traditions, and today wood carving stands out as an enriching element of this tradition. Wood carving still enriches Holguín traditions.

Through it, an important part of the cultural heritage of its roots and of other close generations that preceded it has arrived, which is evident in the cultured and popular speech of the Holguin people, in their proverbs , in the omens and spells, legends and traditions. There is still talk of burials of jewels and coins , of the mysterious ciguapa and of many other myths and legends that are constantly enriched by the different generations.

In 1790 the tradition of the “Novena of the Faithful Departed” arose, which takes place every year from November 2 to 10.

That same year the tradition of the Romería or Pilgrimage of the Loma de la Cruz arose . Founded by the Franciscan priest Antonio Alegría, from the Holguín mission. In 1819 the San José Church was inaugurated . This temple had its origin in a small hermitage built in 1803 by the Franciscan fathers of Holguín and acquired its current form in 1842, with the government of Lieutenant Governor Garcerón y del Valls, when a beautiful tower was built, and the first public clock in Holguín was installed in it, which lasted until 1868, date in which ―in the framework of the Ten Years’ War (1868-1878) ― the tower and the building were shelled. In 1940 it was declared an Independent Parish.

Hill of the Cross

Hill of the Cross

The most famous place in the city is the Loma de la Cruz , with just 458 steps up, you can admire the city of Holguín and the landscape offered by the small elevation of 261 meters, linked to the history of the city.

Bayado Hill, its previous name, became a curious fact since, from May 3, 1790 , it began to be known as Loma de la Cruz. The project was carried out by Vicente Biosca in addition to the chapel, the rotunda and the reconstruction of the colonial fort. The work began on January 28 , 1927 and was completed on May 3 , 1950 .

That day, Friar Francisco Antonio de Alegría climbed to the top and placed a wooden cross there, thus beginning a religious tradition: the Romerías de la Cruz. This old Spanish tradition commemorated the day when Saint Helena , mother of Emperor Constantine the Great, claimed to have unearthed the Cross of Calvary.

Pilgrimages

The May Pilgrimages

The Romerías de Mayo are a tradition of the people of Holguín led by the Asociación Hermanos Saíz (AHS). Every year in the month of May , tradition and modernity come together to turn the city of Holguín into the Capital of Young Art. These events present a sample of the most representative national and international culture, as well as the best AHS projects from each province of the island.

The religious event when the wooden cross was placed on top of the Loma de la Cruz is what much later would become these festivities where all the manifestations of art take place and which begin precisely with a pilgrimage to where the cross is located.

The pilgrimages were held well into the 1950s. For this reason, Oscar Albanés Carballo , a lover of his city, came up with the idea of ​​building a staircase. Today, this tradition has been revived and May has become a tribute to this very Holguín celebration.

First transports

• Appendix: Cars in Holguin

Sport

Holguin athletics in the Olympic Games

The Olympic Games of the Modern Era were rejuvenated in 1896 by the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin , with the first edition being held in Athens , Greece , while just eight years later a determined runner from Havana, Félix El Andarín Carvajal , with his own resources, became the pioneer of Cuban athletics in taking part in these quadrennial events, by travelling to the American city of St. Louis, also achieving a respectable fourth place in the marathon at these third Olympic Games. Very early on there was already a finalist in the Olympic events, but then it was not until the Rome version in 1960 that another Cuban athlete reached a final, this time it was Santiago’s Enrique Figuerola , who took fourth place in the 100 metres. Figuerola himself won the silver medal in this discipline in the following Games, this being the first medal for Cuban track and field in the Olympic Games.

Juan García Dumois, the pioneer in Olympic games

In 1968, Mexico City was the venue for the XIX Olympic Games , an event where two silver medals were won, both in the 4 × 100 metre relay quartets, for both sexes, but it was in this edition where the first athlete from Holguín took part, this honour going to Juan García , in the 400 metre hurdles speciality .

Juan García Dumois was born in Banes on November 5, 1945 and arrived in the Mexican capital when he was 23 years old. His service record did not show great results, so not much could be expected of him and so it happened. He finished seventh in the fourth qualifying heat. Juan achieved a time of 51.87 seconds, being eliminated in his first race. However, this race, along with that of Miguel Olivera from Matanzas , were the first for Cuban athletes in that specialty at the Olympic Games.

After these Olympic Games, Juan García won the silver medal at the Central American and Caribbean Championship , held in Havana in 1969. The following year he won the title at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Panama . He also joined the 4 × 400 relay team, which also won the gold medal. ^[6]

Two women present at Munich 72

The next event held in Munich , Germany in 1972 , was attended by two athletes from Holguín, Carmen Trustée and Asunción Acosta , both in the 400-meter flat event, they were also part of the 4 × 400 meter relay.

Carmen Trustée Lee, born in Banes on 16 July 1948 , had already achieved several international triumphs when she arrived at the German edition, including a silver medal in the 400 metres at the University of Turin in 1970; the Central American and Caribbean titles in Panama in the 400 and 800 metres; and a silver medal at the 1971 Pan American Games in Cali in the 400 metres and 4 × 400 metres relay; she had also undertaken a successful European tour that same year.

All of the above gave her some chances of advancing to the finals of the oval; Carmen began her Olympic performance, winning her qualifying heat with a time of 52.80 seconds, everything seemed to indicate that the Holguin native was on the right track, but a sudden injury kept her off the path to the final, and she was unable to compete in the next phase. The other Holguin representative was Asunción Acosta Galano, born in the city of Holguín on May 10 , 1954. Asunción had her first high-level event at the Munich Games, being eliminated in her debut after finishing sixth in the 400 meters with a time of 54.52 seconds.

Their main results were achieved by integrating both relays, among them the titles in the Central American and Caribbean Games of Santo Domingo in 4 × 100 and the bronze medal in the Pan American Games of Mexico 1975 in the 4 × 400 relay. Carmen and Asunción integrate together with the Guantanamo Marcela Chibás and the Sancti Spiritus Aurelia Pentón , the 4 × 400 meters relay, placed fifth in the semifinals of the German event with a new national record of 3:32.44 minutes. ^[7]

Montreal 76, a Holguin native is a finalist

Two other athletes from Holguín, Richard Spencer and Carlos Álvarez , attended the 1976 Montreal Games in Canada , the first in the high jump and the second as a member of the 4 × 400 metre relay.

Richard Spencer Campbell , born in the former Central Preston , today Guatemala , on July 16 , 1955 , when he set out for the Canadian city he was already the champion of the Central American and Caribbean Games of Santo Domingo 1974 and had a personal best of 2 meters and 18 centimeters, but in the Olympic competition he did not pass the qualifying round by jumping only 2.05 and finishing in twenty-ninth place.

Carlos Alvarez Sánchez, is a native of Sagua de Tánamo , where he was born on December 12, 1956 and was part of the Cuban relay team that won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Mexico City in 1975. In Montreal, as a member of this same relay team, he achieved seventh place with Eddy Gutiérrez , Dámaso Alfonso and Alberto Juantorena . The quartet recorded a time of 3:03.81 minutes. Before, in the semifinals, they had recorded a time of 3:05.19 to qualify third in the second series.

This seventh place in the long relay, where Carlos Álvarez was one of its members, constitutes the first finalist of Holguin athletics in the Olympic Games.

=Barcelona 92, the highest attendance in Holguin

The next time athletes from Holguín attended the Olympic Games was in Barcelona , ​​Spain in 1992 , and on this occasion a total of four children from this land were present in the city of Barcelona; they were the sprinters Liliana Allen and Eusebia Riquelme , the discus thrower Bárbara Hechavarria and the 400-metre runner Nancy McLeon . This was the largest number of Holguín athletes attending the summer events.

Liliana Allen Doll , born in Cueto on May 24 , 1970 , was a bronze medalist at the World Junior Championships in Sudbury , Canada in 1988. She arrived in Barcelona and was also the champion in the 100 and 200 meters at the Pan American Games held in Havana in 1991. She also won the 100 meters at the Universiade in Duisburg , Germany in 1989 , having already accumulated some international experience, which gave her the possibility of becoming an Olympic finalist, options that she made a reality by achieving eighth place in the final of the 100 meters flat.

Her struggle in the Montjuic stadium began with a third place finish with 11.49 in her qualifying heats; in the quarter-finals she repeated that position, now with 11.33 seconds, reaching 11.28 in the semi-finals. This time was lowered in the final to 11.19 seconds, which was the best time for an eighth-place Olympian until the last edition in Athens.

Liliana also joined the 4 × 100 meter relay team with Idalmis Bonne , Aliuska López and Eusebia Riquelme , also from Holguín . Although this relay team advanced to the final, it was unable to finish the race. As mentioned before, this relay team included Eusebia Riquelme Cerrazón , who was born in the Alto Songo municipality , part of Santiago de Cuba , but moved to Holguín from a very young age and has always represented this province in national events.

Another of the attendees at the Catalan games was the discus thrower Bárbara Hechavarria Aponte , born in the city of Holguín on August 6 , 1966. This brunette from Holguín was the third Creole representative in this discipline in Barcelona, ​​since the leading roles fell to Maritza Martén , who won the title, and Hilda Elisa Ramos , who came in sixth place. When Bárbara arrived at the Olympic event, she had in her archives the title of the Pan American Games in Havana in 1991 and the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico in 1990, but the 60.22 meters she threw in the qualifying round were not enough to get into the final, and she was eliminated.

It is now Nancy McLeon Ferrera’s turn , a native of Banes , the municipality where she was born on 1 May 1971. Her main results before and after the Olympics have been as a member of the 4 × 400 relay team, a specialty in which she won the title at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico City in 1990 and the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Havana in 1991, among others. Now in Barcelona she is part of the 4 × 400 relay team with Julia Duporty , Odalmis Limonta and Ana Fidelia Quirós , a quartet that is disqualified in the semi-finals.

Atlanta 96, also welcomes Holguin presence

Indeed, the so-called Centennial Games, held in the city of Atlanta , United States in 1996 , also have the presence of Holguin athletics in Olympic events, with Liliana Allen and Bárbara Hechavarria as representatives , both of whom had already been present at the previous Games.

Liliana Allen had taken part in the 100-metre individual event in Barcelona, ​​but now she is only doing so as a member of the 4 x 100 relay team, and together with Virgen Benavides , Idalia Hechavarria and Aliuska López , this relay team was eliminated in the first phase, finishing fifth with a time of 44.32 seconds.

For her part, Bárbara Hechavarria, although she threw the discus a little further than four years before, also failed to advance to the finals and was eliminated with 61.98. This is how the participation of athletes from Holguín at the Olympic Games ended, since in the editions of Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 , there were no representatives from the so-called City of Parks.

Beijing 2008, first medal for Holguin athletics

After more than 100 years of participation of Cuban track and field in the Olympic Games, the first medal for Holguin athletics in quadrennial events arrives, this one in Beijing 2008 through the decathlete Leonel Suárez . Two representatives from Holguin attended the Games in the Chinese capital , as Suárez was accompanied by Carlos Veliz Wilburt in the shot put .

Leonel Suárez was born on September 1, 1987 in Santiago de Cuba . After passing through the provincial high-performance institutions of Holguín, the School of Sports Initiation (EIDE) and the Higher School of Athletic Improvement ( ESPA ), he reached the national youth pre-selection of athletics in 2004 , where he continued to perfect his preparation, and in 2007 he was promoted to the National Athletics Team.

Suárez’s 8,527 points meant he achieved third place in the Olympic competition, where he was preceded by the American Bryan Clay , winner with 8,791 points, and the Belarusian Andrei Krauchanka , second with 8,551 points. This was not only the first medal for Holguín athletics, but also the first for Cuban track and field in that athletic specialty.

The other representative from Holguín at these games, Carlos Veliz , performed in the shot put, but was eliminated in the qualifying round after throwing only 19.58 metres. The qualifying mark was 20.40 metres, which was achieved by only four athletes out of the 45 who participated, with the remaining eight best records completing the final. Veliz had thrown the shot put up to 20.65 metres that season and if he had repeated that mark, he would have been among the eight best.

Holguin athletics at the Pan American Games

The idea of ​​holding games with the participation of all the countries of the continent began to take shape in the late 1930s , but it was not until a Sports Congress was called in Buenos Aires , Argentina in 1940 when the idea was consolidated, but as happened with other games, the Second World War left its materialization for later, finally convened in London in 1948 for the summer of 1951 in the Argentine capital.

Mexico 1955

The first appearance of Holguín in the Pan American Games occurred in Mexico City in 1955 , when the jumper Claudio Cabrejas , born in Banes on July 30 , 1932 , participated in the long jump and triple jump modalities, placing fifth and sixth respectively with records of 7.30 and 15.00 meters.

The city of Sao Paulo , Brazil, held the IV Pan American Games in 1963. Enrique Samuells from Holguín , a native of the former Central Tarafa, placed fourth in the hammer throw category with a throw of 56.21 meters. Four years later, Samuells won the silver medal at the event in Winnipeg , Canada , with a throw of 64.66 meters, second only to American Thomas Gage , who threw 65.32 meters. Hurdler Daysi Hechavarría joined in, finishing sixth with 11.5 seconds in the 80-meter hurdles.

First medals in Cali Colombia 1971

In Cali , Colombia in 1971 , the first female double medalist from Holguín at the Pan American Games was crowned, Carmen Trustée , second in the 400-meter dash and in the 4 x 400-meter relay . In the first specialty she clocked 52.8 seconds, while in the second she achieved 3:34.0 as a member of the quartet made up of Beatriz Castillo , Marcela Chibás and Aurelia Pentón .

Long jumper José Ramón Díaz is placed fourth with a jump of 7.62 meters.

Mexico City 1975

4×400 relay

At the continental sporting event held in Mexico City in 1975 , athletes again returned with medals, this time a silver and a bronze, with the particularity that both were won in the relay events. The runner-up went to Carlos Álvarez as a member along with Eddy Gutiérrez , Dámaso Alfonso and Alberto Juantorena of the men’s 4 x 400 relay , the time of the quartet was 3:02.82 minutes, while the bronze came through Ela Cabrejas and Asunción Acosta , members along with Regla López and Aurelia Pentón of the women’s 4 x 400 relay . High jumper Richard Spencer* placed fourth with a jump of 2.15 meters.

In San Juan (Puerto Rico) , 1979 , javelin thrower Antonio González won the silver medal with a throw of 84.12 metres, beaten by just four centimetres by the American Duncan Atwood , while Raúl Pupo took the bronze medal, a medal also won by Carlos Álvarez – his second medal in continental competitions – as a member of the 4 x 400 relay team ( Frank Montieth , Pedro Tanis , and Alberto Juantorena ).

Caracas, Venezuela 1983

In Caracas , Venezuela in 1983 , Reynaldo Patterson achieved fourth place in the javelin.

Indianapolis, United States 1987

Indianapolis , United States in 1987 , Liliana Allen and Eusebia Riquelme , accompanied by Aliuska López and Susana Armenteros , only lost to the American quartet, both sprinters took part in the 100 metres , placing fourth and fifth respectively.

Havana 1991

In Havana 1991, three Pan American titles were won in Holguín. Liliana Allen was the queen of speed, winning the 100 and 200 metres, while Bárbara Hechavarría was crowned champion in the discus throw. Liliana won another medal, a silver in the 4 x 100 relay with her countrywoman Eusebia Riquelme and Guantánamo natives Idalmis Bonne and Julia Ester Duporty . Runner Nancy McLeon won the 4 x 400 relay , a quartet that she formed with Duporty , Ana Fidelia Quirós and Odalmis Limonta .

Mar del Plata, Argentina 1995

Mar del Plata , Argentina , Liliana Allen reigned alone in the 200 meters , was second in the 100 and in the 4 x 100 relay, but Nancy McLeon together with Surella Morales , Idalmis Bonne and Julia Ester Duporty , won the gold medal, while Bárbara Hechavarría won the silver medal in the discus throw.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2007

Leonel Suarez

In 2007 in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil had the assistance of three athletes from Holguin, Carlos Veliz in the shot put, Leonel Suarez in the decathlon and Norbert Gutierrez in the marathon , Veliz returned with the bronze medal in his first international competition, he threw 19.75 meters and was surpassed by the Canadian Dylan Armstrong (20.10) and the Jamaican Dorian Scout (20.06), while Leonel Suarez also in his international debut, achieved fourth place with 7936 points, while Norbert did not finish in the exhausting test of 42 kilometers and 195 meters. ^[8]

Holguin athletics has achieved a total of 19 medals, five of them gold, 11 silver and three bronze. ^[9]

National record holder in Holguin athletics

Record refers to a maximum level in a certain activity or a result that exceeds what had been achieved up to that moment, so knowing the definition of this term, we can refer to the Cuban record holders in Holguin athletics.

The Cuban Athletics Federation (FCA) was founded in 1922 and has since then been responsible for accrediting everything related to the national and international athletic activities of Cuban athletes. Although national lists have been compiled since 1905 , records have been compiled officially since 1922 for men and since 1933 for women.

Record-breaking Holguiners

The first athlete from Holguín to set a national record in Cuban athletics was the jumper Claudio Cabrejas Lopetegui with 14.73 meters in the triple jump, an event that occurred on January 17, 1954 in Havana , and later on March 8 in Mexico City during the competitions corresponding to the Central American and Caribbean Games , Cabrejas, born in Banes (1932), won gold in the long jump with a jump of 7.46 meters, his second national record.

Women pioneers in records

Daisy Hechavarría Parra , (Holguín 1942 ) who , together with Irene Martínez , Nereida Borges and Miguelina Cobián , was part of the 4 x 100 relay, achieving a time of 46.2 seconds. The event took place on November 11, 1963 in Havana . The following year, on June 21 in Santiago de Cuba , Daisy ran the 800 meters in 2′ 26.8 to become the first athlete from Holguín to achieve this in an individual discipline.

National record

In total, Holguín athletics has accumulated 89 national records, of which 36 were achieved abroad, with Mexico City being the most popular venue with six, while the Pan American Games with seven is the most suitable competition. There are several athletes who have held multiple records, but among the men no one surpasses the hammer thrower Enrique Samuells Ricardo (formerly of Central Tarafa 1938 ), who has 17 Cuban records in this complex specialty, a haul that began when he threw 51.29 meters on May 27 , 1962 in Havana and ended with 68.78 on June 9, 1968 in Sofia , Bulgaria . In the women’s section this honor corresponds to the pole vaulter Mariana McCarthy , who holds 19 records, a reign that began with 2.60 meters on April 5, 1996 in Havana and culminated with 3.75 on May 14, 1999 , also in the Cuban capital.

Others who have several national records are the runner Carmen Monica Trustée Lee (Banes 1948) with 13, divided as follows: six in 800 metres, four in the 4 x 400 relay , two in 400 metres and one in 1500 metres ; the sprinter Liliana Allen Doll ( Banes 1970 ) set eight national records, four in 100 metres , two in the 200 and two integrating the 4 x 100 relay, the high jumper Hilda Fabré has seven, all in her specialty, while the high jumper Richard Spencer Campbell (formerly of Central Preston 1955 ) also has four .

Currently, there are only three national records set by athletes from Holguín, two by Liliana Allen, 11.10 seconds in the 100 meters flat and 22.7 seconds in the 200 meters , as well as the 8,654 points of Leonel Suárez in the decathlon event .

Youth category

In the youth category, also known as junior and open to athletes up to the age of 19, athletes from the province of Holguín have managed to excel, accumulating 48 national records, with this sector being largely dominated by women with 43 marks.

In this section, the first record holder was José Ramón Díaz Rodríguez , (Banes 1952 ), who on June 26 , 1971 , jumped 7 meters and 79 centimeters in Sofia , Bulgaria , while among women, the honor corresponds to Asunción Acosta Galano , (Holguín 1954 ) when on August 9, 1972 , she achieved a time of 53.6 seconds in the 400 meter flat race in Warsaw , Poland .

The athlete with the most national records in this category is pole vaulter Mariana McCarthy , with 19 Cuban records, while sprinter Liliana Allen, achieved 15, eight of them as part of the 4 x 100 meter relay, a specialty in which Eusebia Riquelme Terrazón , – an athlete born in Alto Songo , Santiago de Cuba , but whose sports training took place in Holguín – achieved five, there is also Nancy McLeon Ferrera from Banes (Banes 1971 ) with four, all as a member of the 4 x 400 meter relay, while among the men, Carlos Veliz has two in the shot put.

There are currently six national youth records set by athletes from Holguín. Liliana Allen holds four, 11.14 seconds (electronic timing) and 10.9 (manual timing) in the 100 metres, 22.7 seconds in the 200 metres and 44.04 in the 4 x 100 relay, a specialty in which she was accompanied by her countrywoman Eusebia Riquelme and by the capital’s Ana María Valdivia and Aliuska López . The other current records are held by Nancy McLeon, with 3:31.81 minutes in the 4 x 400 metre relay and Carlos Veliz with 18.05 metres in the shot put (7.26 kg).