Posthumous Tribute to Eusebio Leal Spengler

December 17, 2020

To the Hall of Lost Steps of the National Capitol, the people of Cuba come today to pay deserved tribute to one of the most illustrious sons of old Havana: Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler, who passed away on August 31st.

The ashes of the renowned academic are accompanied by floral offerings sent by Raúl Castro Ruz, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez; the National Assembly of People's Power and the office of the Historian of Havana.

When the epidemiological situation has permitted it and respecting the corresponding hygiene-sanitary measures, the doors of the Capitol have opened from nine this morning until four in the afternoon, so that Cubans can say goodbye to the historian of the capital, an indispensable figure in the rescue of national traditions.

A native of Havana and Cuban, Eusebio Leal dedicated his life to the rescue and preservation of national heritage. His tireless work for the historical and cultural legacy of the Greater Antilles is part of the values he fostered, both in state institutions and among the people. He made an entire country aware of the relevance of historical memory in everyday life.

To this iconic site of the capital come the Cubans, who in an endless line wait to bid a final farewell to the historian of Havana.

The pioneers, who already enjoy a Havana filled with stories and traditions thanks to the tireless work of Eusebio Leal, also come to pay homage to this great figure of Cuban culture, cultivator of the intrinsic values of nationality. Their teachers accompany them, entrusted in the classrooms with transmitting the historian's legacy to them.

The line does not diminish, it grows. The people, without forgetting the current epidemiological situation, make their presence known in the streets surrounding the Capitol. They are the same Cubans who, inspired by the historian, walk Havana with a curiosity cemented by Leal himself.

Healthcare professionals, educators, cultural figures, elderly people, young people forged under the heat of the researcher's words.