Sierra Maestra

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The Sierra Maestra

The Sierra Maestra (German: "Main Mountains") is a mountain range in the east of Cuba , west of the city of Santiago de Cuba , south of the city of Bayamo and east of Manzanillo , in the south steeply sloping to the Caribbean Sea . The mountain range lies in the present day provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba . In it lies the highest point in Cuba, the Pico Turquino ( 1974  m ), within today's "Turquino National Park". Immediately to the east of this is the Pico Bayamesa National Park with Pico Bayamesa (1730 m) as the highest elevation. Even outside the national parks, many areas of the Sierra Maestra are designated as nature reserves, including El Gigante, Loma de Gato - Monte Líbano, Monte Palmarito, Pico Mogote, Monte Natural Cupaynicú, El Macio.

history

During the Cuban Revolution , the general command of the “ Movement of July 26th ” or the rebel army under the leadership of the comandante en jefe (Commander in Chief) Fidel Castro was at the foot of Pico Turquino . Despite ceaseless search, betrayal and ongoing bombing, the Batista Army failed to locate and destroy the command post throughout the guerrilla war . The buildings of the General Command have been preserved to this day and can be viewed as a protected monument. The starting point is the place Santo Domingo. From here you can visit the buildings with a small museum in the national park on foot. Registration for the national park is required on site.

Rebel headquarters used by Fidel Castro

The Sierra Maestra was a relatively inaccessible mountain range. The individual farmers lived there widely scattered. Not least because of this, it was ideally suited as a starting point and retreat for guerrilla warfare. After the triumph of the revolution, the infrastructure was expanded here - not least as thanks for the support of the revolutionaries by the local campesinos (farmers). In some cases, far-flung homesteads were brought together closer to the road, so that adequate medical and school care could also be guaranteed in this area. The Turquino plan aims to improve economic use and social provision in the impassable areas of the Sierra Maestra and the Escambray Mountains .

The steeply sloping passage south of the Sierra Maestra south of the Sierra Maestra has also been opened up to this day by a comparatively good road, so that a direct connection is now possible from Santiago de Cuba via the coastal village of Uvero to Pilón and Niquero, which was still difficult to reach during the revolution .

Sierra Maestra National Park

The Sierra Maestra National Park (Spanish Gran Parque Nacional Sierra Maestra ) is located in eastern Cuba in the province of Granma near Santiago de Cuba . The national park is criss-crossed by lush green mountain vegetation, within its limits are the highest mountains in Cuba, Pico Turquino (1974 m), Pico Cuba (1872 m), Pico Suecia (1730 m), Pico Bayamesa (1730 m), Pico Martí (1722 m) and Pico Maceo (1720 m). In the south, the park borders on stretches of coastline of the Caribbean Sea - the Riviera del Caribe. Species-rich flora and fauna can be found on an area of ​​47,000 hectares. At least 509 plant species from 115 families are recorded, 25% are endemic species. The fauna is represented by at least 242 animal species from 87 families, 84 endemic to Cuba and 17 endemic to the national park.

literature

  • Ernesto Che Guevara, 2002: Pasajes de la Guerra Revolucionaria. Cuba 1959-1969 . Reimpresión La Habana.

Individual evidence

  1. http://www.snap.cu/index.php/ct-menu-item-15/ct-menu-item-179/ct-menu-item-182
  2. http://www.snap.cu/index.php/ct-menu-item-15/ct-menu-item-179/ct-menu-item-183
  3. http://www.snap.cu/index.php/ct-menu-item-15
  4. http://www.protectedplanet.net/search?country=Cuba&main=country
  5. http://www.snap.cu/index.php/ct-menu-item-15/ct-menu-item-179/ct-menu-item-183

Coordinates: 20 ° 4 ′  N , 76 ° 26 ′  W