People of the capital will pay tribute to Cuba's vedette Rosita Fornés

June 15, 2020

The last wish of Cuba's Vedette, Rosita Fornés, was to rest in the Colón Cemetery in Havana.

In order to fulfill her last wish, the Cuban actress, singer, and vedette Rosita Fornés, who passed away in Miami at the age of 97, was said goodbye to last Friday by her family members, friends, and admirers at a funeral home in the city of Miami.

Subsequently, all the necessary procedures for the transfer of the remains of the great artist have been completed and conditions have been created to pay her the tribute she deserves. The family of Rosita Fornés has contributed to the arrangements, in clear demonstration of their interest in fulfilling the will of an imperishable glory of our culture.

Since the morning of June 15, at the entrance of the Gran Teatro de La Habana Alicia Alonso, the stage of many of Rosita Fornés's performances, dozens of Cuban men and women have been depositing flowers in just tribute to Fornés. The flow of people continues, in accordance with the necessary discipline to protect the citizenry.

The funeral services for Rosita Fornés will take place this Tuesday at the Teatro Martí in Havana, an emblematic venue that welcomed her more than any other. Family members, friends, personalities from the cultural sphere and civil society organizations will pay tribute to the great artist. The ceremony will be broadcast live by National Television and Cuban Radio. All necessary sanitary measures have been taken to guarantee the most dignified farewell to our National Prize winner in Theater, Music and Television.

At 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 17, the doors of the Teatro Martí will open on Zulueta Street so that the public can access the venue to say goodbye to Rosita Fornés. This will be done in an orderly manner that allows compliance with the instructions for the sanitary protection of our compatriots, preserving distances, using the established protective equipment and respecting the indications of the funeral organizers. Those interested are requested, once in the Teatro Martí venue, to proceed without interruptions.

Unfortunately, the conditions of successful confrontation of the COVID-19 pandemic prevent ensuring mass transportation schemes and force restrictions on vehicle transit on Zulueta Street, from San José to Monte; on Dragones, from Prado to Monserrate; and on Teniente Rey and the same cross streets, from 6:00 a.m.

Public access will end at 2:00 p.m., so that family members, friends, personalities from the cultural sphere and civil society organizations can say goodbye to Rosita.

The funeral procession will depart from the Teatro Martí around 3:00 p.m. and will travel along Prado, Malecón and 23 to 12. The people will be able to say goodbye to the artist who honored and honors us during that route. The ceremony at Colón Cemetery will be private.

On the night of Tuesday, June 16, coinciding with the recognition that the people of Cuba pay daily to health workers, we will also applaud Rosita Fornés. This applause from all Cubans, which will be promoted at 9:00 p.m. by our Television, will be the opportunity for a popular tribute in which we will all participate, given the impossibility of participating en masse in the ceremony at the Teatro Martí.

Taking into account the interest that the population has shown in saying goodbye to Rosita Fornés, the Ministry of Culture highlights the efforts that many people and institutions have made to honor her memory and urges those interested to use all possible means to pay their legitimate tribute.