As 2025 closes its doors in the city of Holguin, the drums are already beating. Ready to welcome 2026 with faith. A city reborn with a sigh that is not only of relief. But also of that strange mix of weariness and tenacity that defines its people.
This year has not been easy for the province of Holguin. The chronicle of these twelve months would have chapters marked by prolonged blackouts. Also which turned the nights into a game of patience and candlelight. There would be entire paragraphs dedicated to the lines. Those democratic queues where friendships are forged and frustrations erupt.
It would recall the sweltering summer, where the Gibara seawall and the pristine beaches were a weekend refuge for those who could manage to get away. And the recent hurricane that swept away many dreams, hopes, and sacrifices of the Cuban people.
A year marked by a complex epidemiological scenario and a high incidence of arboviruses. Especially the scourge of dengue and chikungunya, has come to a close.
But it also had bright moments, crowned by the festivities that characterize the province: the Romerías de Mayo (May Pilgrimages). Which, despite the challenges, remain the most anticipated cultural event for Holguin residents. Moreover the Gibara Low-Budget Film Festival, which offers the opportunity to enjoy and explore the world of cinema each year. Finally the Stereo G Electronic Music Festival. A chance for young people to unwind from their daily work.
And sports, always sports, as an outlet and a source of pride. With Holguin athletes raising the flag high in national competitions and delivering an excellent performance in the 64th National Baseball Series.
Looking ahead to 2026 in Holguin is like climbing its Loma de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross) at sunset. You see the whole panorama, with its light and its shadows. There is a tangible, yet not naive, expectation. It’s not the passive hope that awaits a miracle. But the active kind, the one built day by day.
Futhermore the greatest and most urgent expectation remains energy stability. Every family in Holguin dreams that the hum of the fan and the glow of the refrigerator and television will be constant. There’s a persistent murmur, a kind of faith, that the maintenance projects and new investments in the national electrical system will begin to bear tangible fruit here in eastern Cuba.
This is how December ends: not with grandiose fireworks, but with the stove lit in the backyard. With the unexpected visit from a neighbor, with strong coffee shared in a glass. A cycle of resistance closes, a cycle of forced learning, of discovering strengths where none were thought to exist.
Also the city of parks breathes. In that breath there is a firm pulse, an eastern stubbornness forged from sun, sweat, and dreams. The new year arrives. And Holguin, as always, welcomes it with open arms, with faith that the coming year will be better.
By: Arlenis Betancourt Yañez
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