5/5 Ariel W. 8 months ago on Google • 1128 reviews
Cuban
Memorial
Park
is
located
just
south
of
Calle
Ocho
along
SW
13th
Ave
in
Little
Havana
in
the
middle
of
a
working
class
residential
neighborhood.
Throughout
the
park
are
a
series
of
monuments
to
Cuban
and
Cuban
American
icons.
The
park
was
created
to
serve
as
a
place
to
remember
those
who
fought
for
freedom
and
perished
during
the
Cuban
Revolution.
At
the
entrance
to
the
park
is
the
Eternal
Torch
in
Honor
of
the
2506th
Brigade
which
is
dedicated
to
the
exiles
who
died
during
the
Bay
of
Pigs
Invasion.
The
invasion
during
the
height
of
the
Cold
War
in
April
of
1961
was
a
failed
military
military
operation
on
the
southwest
coast
of
Cuba
led
by
the
Cuban
Democratic
Revolutionary
Front,
a
group
of
Cuban
exiles
who
attempted
to
overthrow
Fidel
Castro.
The
monument
was
dedicated
in
1971
as
an
Eternal
Torch
that
burns
for
those
who
fell
fighting
for
freedom
in
the
Cuban
Revolution.
Behind
the
Eternal
Torch
is
a
bust
of
Manolo
Fernandez
(1922-1986)
known
as
"El
Caballero
del
Tango",
He
was
known
as
one
of
the
most
famous
Tango
musicians
and
escaped
from
Cuba
in
1959
to
settle
in
Miami.
A
silhouette
of
a
soldier
is
dedicated
to
the
anti-communist
guerrilla
that
took
place
in
Cuba
from
1960-1966.
This
memorial
honors
the
men
and
women
who
fought
with
weapons
against
the
Castro
regime.
It
was
added
to
the
park
in
2021.
Near
by
is
bronze
statue
of
Nestor
“Tony”
Izquierdo
(1936-1979).
He
was
a
Cuban
revolutionary
hero
and
member
of
Brigade
2506.
He
participated
in
the
Bay
of
Pigs
invasion
and
served
in
Nicaragua's
Somozan
forces.
The
monument
was
created
by
artist
Tony
Lopez
and
installed
in
the
park
in
2001.
A
few
steps
down
is
a
statue
of
the
Virgin
Mary,
important
for
members
of
the
Santeria
faith.
It
is
said
that
the
statue
is
illuminated
by
a
shaft
of
holy
light
every
afternoon.
Mary
represents
the
strong
bond
of
Cubans
with
Catholicism
and
was
dedicated
in
1957.
Also
sacred
to
the
religion
is
a
huge
ceiba
tree
sheltering
the
Virgin
Mary.
Sometimes
you
can
see
offering
left
at
the
base
of
the
tree.
Other
monuments
include
a
map
of
Cuba
with
a
quote
from
José
Martí
"the
country
is
agony
and
duty"
and
a
José
Martí
memorial
dedicated
to
a
man
considered
to
be
a
Cuban
national
hero.
Many
parks
and
monuments
throughout
South
Florida
are
named
in
his
honor.
He
was
a
poet,
revolutionary
philosopher,
writer,
journalist,
translator,
professor,
and
publisher.
He
dedicated
his
life
to
the
promotion
of
liberty
and
political
independence
for
Cuba.
His
death
during
a
battle
against
Spanish
troops
at
the
Battle
of
Dos
Ríos
was
used
to
rally
people
to
the
cause
of
the
independence
of
Cuba
from
Spain.
A
bust
of
Antonio
Maceo
Grajales
(1845-1896),
memorializes
the
man
known
as
the
"Bronze
Titan".
Grajales
fought
in
both
the
10
year
war
and
Cuban
war
of
independence
before
dying
in
battle.
He
was
buried
in
Havana.
In
the
rear
of
the
park
is
the
Square
of
Cuban
journalists.
The
monument
is
triangle
shaped
monument
with
a
Cuban
Flag
at
the
top.
It
lists
the
names
of
many
journalists
who
were
persecuted.
The
final
monument
is
the
USA
and
Cuban
Flags
depicting
two
hands
holding
a
torch
symbolizing
the
goodwill
between
Cuba
and
America.
Cuban
Memorial
Park
serves
as
a
hub
for
the
Calle
Ocho
Music
Festival,
a
festival
featuring
music,
dancing,
art
and
food.
The
park
has
also
been
the
site
of
many
political
demonstrations
through
the
years.
For
visitors
to
Little
Havana,
the
park
is
a
great
place
to
fill
in
your
gaps
in
Cuban
history.
I
also
enjoyed
seeing
all
of
the
roosters
roaming
around
the
center
green
space,
especially
the
adorable
chicks.
The
park
is
open
everyday
from
sunrise
to
sunset.
Leashed
dogs
are
welcome.
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