Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
Nuevitas, Camagüey, Jan. 30 – The history of the Camagüey railroad was driven by Gaspar Betancourt Cisneros, known as El Lugareño, who conceived and promoted the construction of the first railway between Nuevitas and Puerto Príncipe, a project that transformed the region's economy.
Some insist the route began in Camagüey, but historical logic contradicts this: all the construction materials arrived by ship at the port of Tarafa in Nuevitas, which was the only means of mass transportation at the time. It is unthinkable that heavy metal locomotives would have been dragged by oxen to the provincial capital to begin construction there. The railway was born in Nuevitas and extended from there.
The idea, assessed by English engineer Charles Hampter, confirmed its feasibility and profitability. At the invitation of El Lugareño, the project was presented to the colonial authorities, and Captain General Miguel Tacón approved it. Thus began the project that connected territories and established Camagüey, from the early 20th century, as Cuba's railroad center.
During World War I, while Europe suffered economic devastation, Camagüey experienced a sugar boom. The railroad made it possible to transport large volumes of sugar from the mills to Tarafa port, named in honor of Colonel José Miguel Tarafa, another great promoter of railroad development.
Today, the train whistles no longer echo with the same strength or frequency, but Nuevitas remains the cradle of a dream that one day became reality.
Remembering that the railway was born here gives this coastal city in northwestern of Camagüey the place it deserves in Cuban memory. It is about visiting the past with respect and walking toward the future with hope. (Celia Serrano Maldonado/Radio Nuevitas) (Photo: Radio Nuevitas)
