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.c The Associated Press
By ANITA SNOW
SANTIAGO, Cuba
(AP) - Havana may be Cuba's capital, but the island's most important historic
events arose from this eastern city - the Spanish conquest, independence, Fidel
Castro's revolution.
Pope John Paul II arrived in Cuba's second city today - a city famed for its
pride in that history - to celebrate a Mass focused on nationalism and the
Virgin Mary.
"Our patriotism goes back five centuries,'' said Luis Estruch, the
governor of Santiago province, which has 1 million residents. "Santiago's
contributions in the history of this country have been very important.''
Cuban independence hero Jose Marti is buried here. Twenty-nine generals who
fought in the wars of independence against Spain come from this city.
The plaza where the Mass will be celebrated is named for the most notable of
those generals - Antonio Maceo. A bronze statue of the military leader, on a
rearing horse, dominates the plaza.
This region is also home to the statue of Cuba's patron saint, the Virgin of
Charity of Cobre, whose shrine is in a small mining town outside Santiago.
Santiago was founded several miles from its present site by Spanish
conquistador Diego Velazquez in 1514. Its first mayor was the future conqueror
of Mexico, Hernan Cortes.
From 1515 to 1607, Santiago was the island's capital. Cuba's first church,
the Santiago Cathedral, was built in 1520.
Santiago long was a headquarters for traffic in African slaves, something
reflected in the heavily black and mulatto population of Cuba's east today.
The isolation from Havana helped Santiago develop a distinct culture, one
famous for its music. The numerous slave rebellions and independence fights also
helped develop a rebellious population.
Castro launched his revolution here in 1953 with a disastrous attack on the
Moncada Barracks. Many of his commanders were from the area and their stronghold
was in the nearby Sierra Maestra mountains.
When Castro declared the triumph of his revolution on Jan. 1, 1959, it was
in Santiago. He did not arrive in Havana until more than a week later.
AP-NY-01-24-98 1127EST |