Enrique Otero Fernández

Better known to everyone as "Gallego Otero," a popular scientist who contributes to one of the branches of Public Health, green medicine, a family tradition that he carries out tirelessly, making him worthy of different recognitions and decorations from various entities and personalities; having great prestige at the national and international level.

He was born in Valle del Indio, Farm "La Puerta," Cienfuegos, Cuba. His childhood (according to his own words) was rough: until the age of 5 it was good and bad until ten, as he went through much hardship and misery. At ten years old he leaves home because, after the (accidental?) death of his father, his mother remarried a man who treated them badly and he and his siblings had to make their own living.

They lived six years in a cave (farm "Cueva del Indio") a league and a half from Sabanita de la Cruz, between Sabanita Delicia and Vegas de Café, in the Valle del Indio area. During their stay in it they never got sick, because they always had a healthy and clean environment: in hot weather it was cool and in cold weather, warm. Some time later they built a house of zinc and mud, then the environment became disrupted (according to his words) and fevers and colds began.

El Gallego started working at ten years old and his youth was always one of work. He started milking cows, gathering and penning calves, carrying water, cutting firewood, feeding pigs, grinding flour, shucking corn, etc., for lunch and $6.00 a week, to support his family.

Son of Jesús Otero Veiga, native of Lugo, Spain, farmer by trade, died on July 2, 1932 at the age of 40 in La Sierrita and Elena Fernández Bullán, native of Lugo, Spain, homemaker, died on November 4, 1986 at the age of 98. With seven full siblings and one half-sister named Caridad, of whom only he, Santiago, and Asunción remain alive.

He married in 1950 to Basilia Barceló, his first wife, with whom he had four children: Lindania (the only one still alive from that marriage); Rómula, who died in an accident; Dionisio and Orestes.

In 1957 he began living with Margarita Silveira Martínez, born September 14, 1931, whom he married in 1965. With her he had six children: Carmen, Daysi, Andrés, Jesús, Enrique, and Tania. He has twenty-four grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He joined the revolutionary process in 1958, at age 32. "I joined the rural patrols in the month of June of the year 1959. I was a small farmer, I entered operations as a soldier, then I became Platoon Leader to the Second Command of Company 101, the first Leader being Sergeant Calderón, Víctor Dreke being the head of operations at that time and Captain Bouza. I had no ranks, only positions and later in the year 69 I became Head of the Battalion in the area of Aguada de Pasajeros with me the captain Sotolongo, Antonio Bello, the lieutenant Joaquín Laffita and Sergeant León and Sergeant Porfirio Head of the Regiments Commander Elisandro Proensa, Lieutenant Jarpe and Tito Herrera."

Founder of the Revolutionary National Militias, the National Police of the Revolution, State Security, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the People's Power bodies and he still remains active in this popular government movement, the foundation of our genuine democracy, he participated in the 1st Congress of the PCC and was part of the Municipal Committees in Cumanayagua, Regional Las Villas and Provincial in Cienfuegos.

In the year 1964 he was not in operations and joined the Provincial Party School until December 28 when he returned for operations.

In June 1959 he was called to organize rural patrols in the Escambray with selected comrades, then this work was carried out in the Las Vegas area. Goyo Machín remained in the rural patrols, Eredio Chávez was the Leader and el Gallego was second, with a group of 25 more comrades.

He began guard duties watching equipment at night, patrolling the workers who were building, this was directed by commander Gilberto Caldero. By this time those who had risen up were; Román Trujillo, Luis Vargas, Sinencio Mengual and his brother, who was Fidel Castro himself with a group of comrades who captured him at the Pico Blanco farm, near la Sierrita.

He died on March 27, 2012 in Cuba at the age of 86.

Medicinal Plants Farm
The Medicinal Plants Site is located in the foothills of the Guamuhaya massif, with several Protected Areas and Natural Parks declared by CITMA, with abundant forest vegetation, endemic to the place.

It is surrounded by springs that are the natural gravity supply of water used on the farm. The fauna is represented by around 45 species endemic to the place including the trogon and the ground dove, both threatened.

It is located at kilometer 2 1/2 of the Sierrita - San Blas road, 39 km from the city of Cienfuegos and 60 from the city of Trinidad, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, its location allows easy access considering the quality of the road networks that connect the territory and the road signage of the area.

Work is being done on an artistic and cultural signage system for access to the Farm.

The area of permanent exhibitions (understood as all areas of the Farm) is distributed as follows:
10 hectares (ha) for planting species.
1 ha for milling, drying and processing.
3 ha for training classrooms, information center, exhibitions (permanent and temporary) and residential property.
2 ha for fruit cultivation.
0.3 ha for covered cultivation facilities.
10 ha of the livestock module.
The rest is natural forest.
It is composed of different areas and rooms, mentioning some of them below:

Exhibitory Area This area has more than 200 species which are arranged harmoniously interrelated simulating their natural state. This achievement, which has lasted more than 20 years, was thanks to the logical ecological and environmental protection thinking that has accompanied el Gallego Otero throughout his life. Currently the environmental impact and pollution load are being studied in order to propose changing the entrance of the Site Museum to an area of lower risk. For our work team this is the most important area of the Farm due to its excellent collection.
Posture Area In this area the multiplication of medicinal species useful for the Farm's commercialization is developed.
Cantero Crop Area There are species whose yield doubles in these areas such as Plantain, Mints, etc.
Environmental Classroom This classroom is named after Dr. Juan Tomás Roig y Mesa, in honor of this virtuous Cuban scientist, whose living work is very important for the knowledge of Medicinal Plants in our time. El Gallego Otero is a faithful follower of this eminent scientist's studies which are always present in our daily work. Knowledge, conservation and care of the Environment are promoted, as well as comprehensive training for all interested parties.
Earthworm Humus The application of earthworm humus in Medicinal Plants has proven to be a true achievement in the multiplication and yield of these species, consolidating the development of Organic Productions. The combination of Earthworm Humus and Micofert has been a scientific achievement not previously used in our country with these species. This production is advised by specialists from the Barajagua Experimental Station (Cumanayagua, Cienfuegos), in which work is being done for its consolidation.
El Gallego's First Bedroom In this container, el Gallego Otero slept and had his command post to, as he states, "closely care for his plants and for them to develop with the vitality they have today." It is preserved as another exhibit of the Site Museum. "A worthy example of dedication to a noble cause."
Museum House Due to the characteristic of the Site Museum, the entire area encompassed by the Farm is considered, taking into account the landscape, historical, natural, and ecological values, integrating as a single element; however, a typical mud and zinc house is designed and built, constructed in the period of February - June 2004, with domestic architectural typology with ethnological and historical value, which constitutes an important exhibit, being chosen to be a referential element of the collections that arise according to the collection and selection processes that develop.

It consists of 4 exhibition rooms:
Room 1.- History of the People of la Sierrita.
Room 2.- History of "El Gallego Otero" as a fighter in the Struggle Against Bandits.
Room 3.- History of "El Gallego Otero" as a Popular Scientist.
Room 4.- History of Medicinal Plants in Cuba. The exterior areas of the museum will represent a typical Cuban peasant patio with coffee and plantain cultivation in which activities are carried out with children and adults, the community and all interested personnel.

Pineapple Area With the objective of achieving an income in MLC for the development of the Farm and the Project, the strategy for planting Organic Pineapple is developed for its commercialization in Hotel and Institution networks.

Margarita's Garden: Margarita Silveira El Gallego's faithful and unconditional wife always dreamed of having a garden which is developed with multiple flowers and ornamental species, in her rare moments of rest she and her daughter Tania care for it carefully, along with Pepito and Omar.

Residential House: This house built by Andrés and the farm workers in 1995, has allowed el Gallego and Margarita, who moved to the Farm to continue doing what she always did, provide unconditional support to el Gallego so he could work much more comfortably on this task. In the house there is also the workers' dining room and it has always been shared with workers, visitors, patients and everyone who passes through these lands.

Livestock Module "MARÍA ANTONIA": The beloved María Antonia, famous Rancher from the eastern region and lover of Environmental and Nature care advises the Farm in the development of this specialty and allowed him to name this developing module after her in the Site Museum. In it there are, among others, the "Pelo de Buey" sheep breed, the "Mariposa" rabbit breed and the "Cubalalla" chicken breed.
Recognitions

He holds many Medals and Decorations such as the XX Anniversary of the Revolution, the Bay of Pigs, Clandestinity, the Struggle Against Bandits, 2 Medals of Distinguished Service of the FAR, and the Medals of Production and Defense and Preparation for Defense.