Ceremony held in Havana to honour eight medical students murdered in 1871

154 years after the horrific crime that shook Cuba on November 27, 1871, the youth and people of the capital marched this Thursday to honour the eight medical students who were unjustly murdered for a crime they did not commit. President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez led the traditional procession.

Images via Alejandro Azcuy

By Angélica Paredes López, translated from the Spanish

On the afternoon of Thursday, November 27, the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, arrived at the steps of the University of Havana.

As the President of the National Defense Council, he traveled to the capital from eastern Cuba, a region he visited for the fifth time following Hurricane Melissa's impact on several provinces on October 29.

Upon returning to Havana, the Head of State led the customary march to the esplanade of La Punta, honouring the eight medical students who were unjustly executed by Spanish colonial forces 154 years ago, despite their innocence, falsely accused of a crime they did not commit.

First, a wreath was laid at the base of the university steps in front of the Memorial that holds the ashes of revolutionary leader Julio Antonio Mella. Shortly after, the symbolic roll call took place, honoring the martyrs of the University Student Federation (FEU), an organization he founded.

Before embarking on the pilgrimage, Thalía Beatriz Morell García, a national ideologist of the FEU and a fifth-year medical student, reflected on the terrible crime committed against those young men, "whose dreams were shattered by the brutal injustice of Spanish colonialism."

The university student leader stressed that "their only crime was to harbor in their hearts the innocent and pure desire to save lives."

And then, she referred to the conquests that almost a century later the Cuban Revolution achieved, led by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, who "made the health of the people a sacred priority."

"Thousands of young people have found here the opportunity to fulfill the same dream of those eight, that of serving our people."

In her speech, the future doctor affirmed the dedication of Cuban medicine, which is rooted in profound humanist values, to the just causes of humanity. And she asserted: "the students of the Medical Sciences have been and will always be where the Homeland needs us."

Then the march began. The Cuban president led the approximately three-kilometer journey from the university hill to Prado and Malecón. He was joined by Meyvis Estévez Echevarría, the first secretary of the National Committee of the Union of Young Communists, as well as leaders from the Party, the Government, the State, and student organizations.

From the balconies of the buildings and along the sidewalks on both sides of Havana's San Lázaro Street, residents greeted the participants of the walk. When the participants reached Belascoaín, they turned left to continue along Malecón Avenue, heading towards the esplanade in front of the Fortress of La Punta, where the pilgrimage concluded. This event became a moment of popular reaffirmation of the commitment to defending the historical memory of the Cuban nation.

Patriotic slogans and iconic anthems that have been part of our traditions of struggle were performed by the Music Band of the General Staff of the Revolutionary Armed Forces. Along with the lone star flag and the banners of the Union of Young Communists, the University Student Federation, the Federation of High School Students, and the "José Martí" Pioneers Organization, this marked the route.

At the Monument, where the eight medical students were executed, each young man killed on that tragic November 27 was commemorated by name. Fermín Valdés Domínguez, a close friend of Martí, received special recognition for his relentless efforts over the years after to prove the innocence of his murdered comrades.

As a tribute to the students, eight floral offerings were laid. Díaz-Canel, along with the officials who took part in the march, stood as an Honor Guard to pay homage to those who became martyrs for their Homeland.

A wave of people then marched past the esplanade of La Punta. The President stayed there until the last young person had passed. Students from various educational backgrounds approached to greet him. It was heartwarming to witness the many displays of respect and affection, along with the numerous selfies and photos that young men and women took with the Head of State, who recognizes the responsibility that young people have in continuing to drive the progress of our country.

Anacleto Bermúdez, Carlos Augusto de la Torre, Eladio González, Carlos Verdugo, Pascual Rodríguez, Ángel Laborde, José de Marcos Medina, and Alonso Álvarez de la Campa are alive in every young person across Cuba able to realize their dreams.

"Not forgotten, nor dead," is a cry echoed throughout the march, as a young woman in a white coat holds up a sign displaying Martí's stirring verses: "Life begins, at last, with dying!"

Once more, on another challenging November 27, the innocence of those who died "in the arms of the grateful Homeland" is remembered.

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC