On November 27th, 2025, Cuba solemnly observed the 154th anniversary of the execution of eight medical students by Spanish colonial forces in 1871. The streets of Havana filled with commemorative activities as citizens gathered to honor the memory of these young martyrs who became symbols of Cuban resistance.
The ceremony commenced at the University of Havana, where participants descended the steps toward the La Punta monument. The event was presided over by Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, First Secretary of the Party’s Central Committee and President of the Republic, alongside senior government and party officials.
Thalía Beatriz Morell García, an ideological representative from the National Secretariat of the Federation of University Students (FEU), emphasized the historical significance of the march. “We march not only in remembrance but for this homeland, built with the blood of its finest sons and daughters,” she stated during the ceremony.
The commemorative event highlighted the transformation of historical pain into progressive action. Morell García noted that the Cuban Revolution, under the leadership of Fidel Castro Ruz, converted tragedy into inspiration, establishing educational institutions and healthcare systems that honor the students’ original aspirations.
Additional floral offerings were placed at the monument of Julio Antonio Mella, the student leader and anti-imperialist activist, near University Hill. The ceremony brought together prominent figures including Yuniasky Crespo Baquero, Head of the Ideological Department of the Party’s Central Committee, Rolando Yero Travieso from the Department of Social Sector Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman, and leaders from the Young Communist League and student federations.
The gathering echoed with chants of “Neither dead nor forgotten!”—a powerful refrain demonstrating Cuba’s enduring commitment to preserving historical memory and national dignity against colonial and imperial forces.