Tribute to the Father of the Homeland. Photo: Odette Elena Ramos

Havana, October 10 (RHC)-- The 154th anniversary of the beginning of the wars for Cuba's independence (October 10) was commemorated on Monday at the Santa Ifigenia patrimonial cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.

The ceremony included the presentation of floral offerings on behalf of Army General Raúl Castro Ruz and the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (CC-PCC) and president of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel, at the tombs with the remains of patriots José Martí (1853-1895) and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (1819-1874), the Father of the Homeland, initiator of the emancipation struggle.

During the traditional ceremony, led by students of the 'Camilo Cienfuegos' Military School of Santiago de Cuba, flowers were laid to Mariana Grajales (1815-1893) and the historic leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz (1926-2016), who consolidated the victory on January 1, 1959.

In addition to the highest authorities of that province, present at the tribute to the founding fathers of the Antillean nation were Antonio Guerrero, Hero of the Republic of Cuba, José Ramón Saborido, Minister of Higher Education, officials of the PCC and the Government of the territory, military chiefs and leaders of social organizations.

On October 10, 1868, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes in his sugar mill 'Demajagua', in eastern Cuba, gave freedom to his slaves and called them to the struggle for the country's independence, an action that led to the beginning of the Ten Years' War against the Spanish colonial regime and the subsequent founding of the Republic of Cuba in Arms.