Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, and the Federation of University Students (FEU) commemorated today, on their social media accounts, the tragic events of the 154th anniversary of the execution of eight medical students, which took place on November 27, 1871.
The FEU will organize the traditional pilgrimage from the steps of the University of Havana to the La Punta Mausoleum, where the young men were executed, as part of the day of remembrance.
The event will commemorate the fact that the students were accused of desecrating the tomb of Spanish journalist Gonzalo de Castañón, a trial considered fraudulent by Cuban historians.
Those executed were Alonso Álvarez de la Campa, Anacleto Bermúdez y Piñera, Ángel Laborde y Perera, Carlos Verdugo y Martínez, Carlos Augusto de la Torre y Madrigal, Eladio González y Toledo, José de Marcos y Medina, and Juan Pascual Rodríguez Pérez.
Another 51 students received prison sentences of six years, four years, and six months, respectively, which amplified the impact of the trial on Havana society at the time.
Historians recalled that Fernando de Castañón, the journalist’s son, later declared in Havana that his father’s tomb had not been damaged, confirming the young men’s innocence and demonstrating the repressive nature of the trial.
Díaz-Canel emphasized that the memory of the students is a symbol of dignity and resilience, and reaffirmed the commitment of Cuban youth to history and the homeland.
The day will include the participation of youth and student organizations, which will reaffirm the continuation of the tradition of paying tribute every November 27.
IMAGE CREDIT: ACN / Agencia Cubana de Noticias
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
