In Camagüey, San Juan's party always returns

Present and past will meet since June 24 in the streets of Camagüey again, when begins the most emblematic popular festivity of the village of Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe.

In the beginning were not more than seasonal monteros parties and “poblanos” that, always aided in the opportune sacred prodigality of the Catholic calendar, began to celebrate in streets and litle squares after the purchases and livestock sales recently put on weight by the waters of May.

The rum and liquor “arrechos”, the beef and the roasted meats, the games of chance, the parties and the careers of horses played by the most audacious, left making more and more daily—and necessary—even for the most rancid families in the aristocracy of Puerto Principe that from beginnings of the XVIII century, began to wait with particular interest the last week of June, more concretely the days that mediated among the 24 and the 25, parties of San Juan and San Pedro, respectively.

For then, to the religious commemorations—imprescindibles in a deeply marked city for the religiosity of the time—it is added the most diverse elements purely, representative of the cultural and ethnic sincretism of the Cuban nation.

Was born this way the San Juan of Camagüey, the most popular emblematic festivity of the formerly village of Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe and today i mentions forced in the personal calendar of villagers and not few strange.

During its six days of parties would go finding its space the walks in decked out coaches, the decoration of whole streets with diverse reasons, the fairs and parties, those covered with a sheet...

Two celebrations would mark, however, in a very special way the festivity of Camagüey. Both, of raigal African essence, would become the San Juan's moments summits soon: the parades of the congas and processions, and San Pedro's funeral.

The first wil be—like today—tinged for the rivalry among the humblest neighborhoods in the village, faced during those days in the music's sands and dance whose colophon arrived with the walks for the main village streets, become in scenarios for the healthiest confrontation and participative of the whole party.

To San Pedro, on the other hand, would play the most cheerful funeral in the history, when each 29 streets and squares were flooded of principeños “compungidos” for their death, symbol also of the end of the celebrations, awaited from that moment—and until the next year —for the villagers, yearners already of the next party.

For that reason, neither the wars and more terrible vicissitudes suffered by this “shepherds' district and hats” could banish to the San Juan of the memory and the life of its people. Certain it is that in ocasions—during periods more or less long—left of taking place, but always, invariably, returned as the good friends or the true traditions. Invariably returned, and returns, with an unshakable certainty, June 24 rain and there is San Juan. (Amaury Valdivia)

En Camagüey, la fiesta de San Juan siempre vuelve

Presente y pasado volverán a encontrarse desde el 24 de junio en las calles camagüeyanas, cuando comience la festividad popular más emblemática de la otrora villa de Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe.

En el comienzo no fueron más que estacionales fiestas de monteros y “poblanos” que, amparados en la siempre oportuna prodigalidad sacra del calendario católico, comenzaron a festejar en calles y plazuelas luego de las compras y ventas de ganado recién engordado por las aguas de mayo.

El ron y aguardiente bien “arrechos”, el tasajo y las carnes asadas, los juegos de azar, las fiestas y las carreras de caballos protagonizadas por los más audaces, se fueron haciendo cada vez más habituales—y necesarias—incluso para los más rancias familias de la aristocracia principeña, que desde comienzos del siglo XVIII, empezaron a esperar con particular interés la última semana de junio, más concretamente los días que mediaban entre el 24 y el 25, fiestas de San Juan y San Pedro, respectivamente.

Por entonces, a las conmemoraciones puramente religiosas—imprescindibles en una ciudad profundamente marcada por la religiosidad de la época—se sumaron los más diversos elementos, representativos del sincretismo cultural y étnico de la nación cubana.

Nació así el San Juan camagüeyano, la festividad popular más emblemática de la otrora villa de Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe y hoy cita obligada en el calendario personal de lugareños y no pocos foráneos.

Durante sus seis días de festejos irían encontrando su espacio los paseos en carrozas engalanadas, la decoración de calles enteras con motivos diversos, las ferias y fiestas, los ensabanados...

Dos celebraciones marcarían, sin embargo, de manera muy especial la festividad principeña. Ambas, de raigal esencia africana, se convertirían pronto en los momentos cumbres del San Juan: los desfiles de las congas y comparsas, y el entierro de San Pedro.

La primera sería—como hoy—matizada por la rivalidad entre los barrios más humildes de la villa, enfrentados durante esas jornadas en las arenas de la música y baile, cuyo colofón llegaba con los paseos por las principales calles de villa, devenidas en escenarios para la confrontación más sana y participativa de toda la fiesta.

A San Pedro, por su parte, le tocaría protagonizar el entierro más alegre de la historia, cuando cada 29 calles y plazas se inundaran de principeños “compungidos” por su muerte, símbolo también del final de las celebraciones, aguardadas desde ese momento—y hasta el año siguiente—por los lugareños, añorantes ya de la próxima fiesta.

Por eso, ni las guerras y vicisitudes más terribles sufridas por esta “comarca de pastores y sombreros” pudieron desterrar al San Juan de la memoria y la vida de sus gentes. Cierto es que en ocasiones—durante períodos más o menos prolongados—dejó de celebrarse, pero siempre, invariablemente, retornó como los buenos amigos o las tradiciones verdaderas. Invariablemente volvió, y vuelve, con una certeza inconmovible, el 24 de junio llueve y hay San Juan. (Amaury Valdivia)

Vacationers will enjoy the champing in Camagüey

About 12 thousand vacationers will enjoy in the months of July and August, of the options of the Popular Champing in the seven units of this type of the county of Camagüey.

The summery season will have better comfort and lodging service in The Carnations, of the municipality head, subjected to a rehabilitation process, and in The Barbecue, located in Sibanicú, where the construction of a pool ends.

Mayelín Martin Pérez, vicedirector of Exploitation and Development of the Provincial Company of Champing, informed that the training of each of the workers is primordial to achieve an excellence service that favors the client's satisfaction.

Battle of Saratoga, in the municipality of Jimaguayú - and desolated by the step of the hurricane Ike in the year 2008 -, is reinstated with its repaired facilities and a new pool.

Monte Oscuro, Punta de Ganado, The Palms and Los Cangilones, also sink to the summer plan, the last one with visit service, not of lodging.

Among the proposals of these recreation centers walks, calculation rooms and video are included, infantile parks, walks to horse, and rent of games and nautical means.

They are, also, the offers of cafeterias and restaurants in national currency, and of stores with products marketed in convertible pesos.
Most of the 169 existent cabins in Camagüey are equipped with fans, and have television, except those where the audiovisual sign doesn't arrive. (Yaniuska Macías Rivero/Taken from National Granma).

Strong investments in Camagüey will favor readiness and quality of the bovine milk

The invigoration of the chain of value of the milk in Camagüey, starting from an opportune investment with international support, will propitiate to implant a model sustainable pilot of integration to closed cycle, from the milk until the commercialization.

This incorporates a strategy to the local conditions of climatic variability in the municipalities of Esmeralda and Jimaguayú, multimillionaires in the production of liters of milk, where near 30 percent of what is gathered suffers affectations for big transporting distances and deficit of cold.

The investment will propitiate, also, the benefit to Basic Units of Cooperative Production, (groupings productive workers) made responsible with the supply milkman; the construction of a minindustry in Esmeralda that also favors the feminine incorporation to the employment, and technological improvements to teams of transport.

Such proposals agree with the strategy of delivery of lands in gratuitous usufruct that at the moment is developed, and where more than 54 percent of the areas awarded in Camagüey are dedicated to the cattle raising, what been worth the supremacy of this county-that of bigger territorial extension of Cuba - in the production Cuban milkmaid, with more than a hundred million liters per year.

From the ends of the decade of 60 in last century, in Camagüey was fomented by the leader's of the Revolution idea, Fidel Castro Ruz the call “ Milkmaid Cuenc” that embraces an extensive territory from the municipality provincial head until that of Guáimaro, with a view to the cattle development starting from an intelligent combination of the science with the traditional peasant wisdom.

Such to proceed has facilitated to face imponderable of the blockade to the island that ballast the zeal of guaranteeing the milk to the population, much more in moments in that a ton of the powdered product in the international market overcomes the four thousand dollars. (Pedro Paneque Ruiz)