Havana, September 11 (RHC) -- Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, leader of the Cuban Revolution, and Miguel Díaz-Canel, first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (CC PCC) and president of the Republic, attended this Wednesday the Almeida Vive tribute gala, for the 15th anniversary of the passing of Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida Bosque.

Also present at the Universal Hall of the FAR were Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People's Power and the Council of State; Manuel Marrero Cruz, Prime Minister of the Republic, and Roberto Morales Ojeda, Secretary of Organization of the CC PCC, as well as other members of the Political Bureau, of the State and Government leadership, comrades in struggle and family of Commander Almeida Bosque.

At the gala, prominent figures of Cuban music performed songs written by Almeida, including "Mejor contar" and "La Lupe."

Juan Almeida Bosque (February 17, 1927 - September 11, 2009) participated in the assault on the Moncada barracks (July 26, 1953), an act for which he was imprisoned, and after his exile in Mexico, he left on the yacht Granma for eastern Cuba with 81 other expeditionaries, to begin the guerrilla war against the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista (1952-1958).

He earned the rank of Commander and founded and led the Third Front ‘Mario Muñoz’, in which he earned the respect and love of the townspeople.

After the triumph of the Revolution (January 1, 1959) he held numerous responsibilities as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the PCC, since its founding in 1965; vice president of the Council of State and president of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution.

In addition to his revolutionary work, he also had a prolific musical and literary work, which includes more than 300 musical pieces and twelve books. (Source: ACN)