Guantanamo.- A team of specialists from the San Antonio del Sur Municipal University Center, led by PhD. Evangelio Galano Rodríguez, has developed a proposal for conserving El Abra de Mariana, a unique gorge regarded as one of the most distinctive and significant landscapes in Guantánamo Province.
The research project classifies the mountain pass as an “Outstanding Natural Feature” within the province’s Protected Areas system. Its proposed conservation initiatives include community workshops to encourage local participation, educational sessions highlighting the site’s natural, cultural, and historical values, and the preparation of informational brochures.
The specialists also recommend establishing partnerships with social organizations and educational institutions in nearby communities to support the protection of El Abra de Mariana. The site was the scene of combat between troops of the Frank País Second Eastern Front, led by Commander Félix Peña, and the “casquitos,” or helmeted troops, of dictator Fulgencio Batista’s army.
The study’s findings were published this year in a quarterly issue of the scientific digital journal Hombre, Ciencia y Tecnología (Man, Science, and Technology), issued by the Knowledge and Technology Management Enterprise (GECYT) in Guantánamo.
The picturesque gorge was described by Cuban National Hero José Martí in his Campaign Diary on April 25, 1895—just 14 days after he arrived at Playitas de Cajobabo to join the “Necessary War.”
