Cuevas Ramos highlighted the restless efforts of the Holguin people over the past months to bring back on their feet many economic sectors hard hit by the storm. He said the people in Holguin will not rest until they fully recover from the damage inflicted. The only remain of that storm will be its sad memory, and also the lessons learned, which allow the people to prepare much better to face any other future event of this kind.

In his statement to the packed crowd in the historic Calixto Garcia Plaza, the member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party recalled the speech given by Fidel Castro on July 26, 13 years ago, when the Revolution leader highlighted the revolutionary history of that eastern region and the patriotic traditions of its people.

Minutes before Cuevas spoke to the people, Miguel Diaz Canel, former Communist Party Leader in Holguin province and current minister of Higher Education addressed the huge demonstration to say that he shared the healthy and revolutionary pride of the Holguin people.

Diaz Canel stressed the goals in different social and economic sectors, which were reached with perseverance, braveness, optimism and unconditional commitment. You have worked step by step, one day after the other, with unlimited commitment; you have transformed programs and projects and you faced the adversities imposed by nature, he said.

The Cuban government official asked the people in Holguin to dedicate their celebration to Fidel and Raul, to the Revolution, the Communist Party and the five Cuban heroes imprisoned in the United States.

The mass rally opened at 7 am sharp and was also attended by veterans of the attacks on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cespedes barracks back in 1953, by members of the Cuban government and Communist Party, relatives of the five Cubans serving sentences in US jails, as well as by members of the 20th US-Cuba Friendshipment Caravan, headed by the Reverend Lucius Walker, and representatives of the Venceremos solidarity brigade.