Valentín Cuesta Jiménez

Valentín Cuesta Jiménez (1888-1969)

Born in Güines on July 24, 1888. The son of Valentín Cuesta Rendueles and Matilde Jiménez.

He attended elementary school within the public school system of Güines and his higher education at Belén School in Havana, going afterwards to the University of Havana, where he couldn’t finish his studies.

He worked as a rural teacher first in Diago Farm near Catalina de Güines and later on he was appointed teacher of the Superior Primary School Luz y Caballero in the Villa until his retirement.

He is one of the more prominent literary and journalistic figures of Güines. He edited the local newspaper Heraldo de Güines (Herald of Güines).

His work, besides his abundant journalistic production includes La tragedia del 2 de mayo (The 2nd of May’s Tragedy), Evolución del Papel Periódico (Evolution of the Periodic Paper), Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), El país de los románticos (The Country of Romantics), Gibara la gentil (Genteel Gibara), Historia de un gran crimen (History of a Great Crime) (honoring the death by firing squad of the 8 Medical School students), Florence Nightingale (La dama de la lámpara) (Florence Nightingale, [The Lady of the Lantern]), Sangre en los labios (Blood in the Lips [Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda]), Las verbenas güineras (Güines Street Parties) and many more.

He was a corresponding member of Cuba’s Academy of History and was appointed by the Town Council of Güines as the Official Chronicler of the Villa. He died in Güines on December 5, 1969.

Continue to: Valentín Cuesta Rendueles