Cuba does not and will not surrender 

Photo: Estudios Revolución

"Nobody surrenders here...". More than a phrase, it is a conviction that runs through Cuba's veins like blood. Assuming it, from commitment and coherence, is the most worthy way to honor Commander Juan Almeida Bosque, to whom homage was paid this Wednesday, 15 years after his physical departure, in a gala headed by the leader of the Cuban Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, and the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez.The Universal Hall of the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces was the stage for the tribute, which brought together artists from different generations, and was also attended by members of the Political Bureau 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 Central Committee of the Party.Also present were the vice prime minister, Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdés Menéndez; the Commander of the Rebel Army José Ramón Machado Ventura, other members of the Political Bureau; as well as Party, State and Government leaders, and relatives of the loyal guerrilla, of the humble and sensitive man, touched by music.The tribute began with images that summarize, in a very brief synthesis, the life of Comandante Almeida's dedication to the Homeland. Among the photos emerged the assailant of the Moncada Barracks, the expeditionary of the Granma yacht, the founding chief of the Third Front Mario Muñoz, the political leader, and who fulfilled every task of the Revolution, as Raúl said, "with proverbial loyalty, efficiency and spirit of sacrifice."It was the music, his music, the guiding thread of the evening, as a reverence to the more than 300 songs that were born from his inspiration, and from that way of seeing life that was so much his own.Bárbara Llanes sang El gran día de enero, and the very musical Beatriz Márquez, who felt that her songs were her own, sang Mejor concluir. The Lucecita choir sang Marinero quiero ser, Raquel Hernández brought Es soledad to the stage, and La Lupe, by troubadour Eduardo Sosa, whose lyrics reaffirmed Almeida's decision to "win or die".His son Juan Guillermo and his orchestra also performed some of the most popular pieces, in deep recognition of the cultural legacy of the Comandante, with the skin of an artist."I have been a soldier of the Revolution," the hall heard Almeida say, "and I boast of having always been by Fidel's side." A well-deserved place, earned through tenacity and courage, qualities that keep him alive, "today more than ever."FROM HIS THIRD FRONT, THE TRIBUTEThousands of Santiago inhabitants, in pilgrimage from Cruce de los Baños to Loma de la Esperanza, paid tribute to the Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida Bosque, whose mortal remains are treasured in the Mausoleum of the Third Eastern Front Mario Muñoz Monroy, of which he was chief and founder, as a culmination of the commemorative activities for the 15th anniversary of his death.The people showed their affection to the man who did not give up, even in the most difficult circumstances, and witnessed the laying, at his tomb, of the floral offerings sent by his boss and close friend, the leader of the Revolution, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz; the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; the president of the National Assembly, Esteban Lazo Hernández; as well as the traditional one that, on behalf of the people of Cuba, also distinguishes this type of tribute.