|
 Eusebio
Leal: Tobacco Is a Cultural Heritage of Cuba
HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 29 (acn)
Havana Historian Eusebio Leal said on Wednesday that the
production, trade, and traditions of tobacco are part of the
Cuban cultural heritage and a national legacy that remains
in the preference of millions of people around the world.
Speaking at
Havana’s Convention Center to the delegates participating in
the ongoing 14th International Habano Festival, Leal
recalled that tobacco was first taken to Europe in 1492 when
Christopher Columbus returned from his first trip to the
Americas.
The Havana Historian said personalities such as singer
Francisco Repilado
(Compay Segundo) and tobacco producer Alejandro Robaina are
symbols of
Cuba who were linked and contributed to the promotion and
development of
Cuban cigars all around the world.
This year’s Habano Festival is being attended by
representatives from 60
countries and the program includes cigar tasting sessions,
seminars,
visits to tobacco plantations and cigar factories, as well
as a commercial
fair and an auction of humidors. Also programmed is the
screening of the
film ‘Cigars: The Heart and Soul of Cuba’, by James Suckling
and James Orr.
Habanos S.A., founded in 1994, is a joint venture made up of
Cuba’s
Cubatabaco company and the Altadis Corporation, which
belongs to the
British Group Tobacco Group PLC. This company markets Cuban
cigars on the
island and abroad, based on an exclusive distribution
network operating in
over 150 countries.
|
