Parque Guayasamín

The Parque Guayasamín occupies the area of a collapsed colonial building. It was inaugurated to pay tribute to the famous Ecuadorian artist Oswaldo Guayasamín (1919-1999) in 1995. It is one block away from the Casa Oswaldo Guayasamín. Formerly, the park was called as Parque Rumiñahui, due to the monumental metalwork of Guayasamín that stands in the center of the area. The gigantic metal sculpture has an image of a robust man with the arms raised.

Rumiñahui, the last emperor of the Incan, was an Incan hero that faught against the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors in Quito in the 16th century. His exploits in the battles against the Spanish conquistadors placed General Rumiñahui among the most famous Indian caudillos (leaders) of the American continent, who fought for the rights of their peoples. He was introverted, severe, strong, agile and authoritarian, and because of his appearance he was given the name Rumiñahui that meant Stone Eye in Quechua language. His eyes were infusing hardness and a relentless character. Inspired by the symbol of the indigenous resistance, the Ecuadorian painter brought the sculpture to Cuba and presented it to the Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

The Parque Guayasamín occupies a small area. A few banks are scattered in the park. The sculpture of Rumiñahui stands on one side of a two-level fountain with jets of water. At the back of the park you will see two black plaques, nailed on the wall. They belong to the unforgettable Ecuadorians, Carlos Bastidas Argüello and Nela Martínez Espinosa.

The Ecuadorian journalist Carlos Bastidas Argüello (1935-1958) played an important role in first broadcasts of Rado Rebelde despite his young age. Three days before his travel to the USA, where he planned to denounce the crimes that the Batista’s airforce committed to the rural communities, he was shot by a secret agent of Batista in a bar in Havana at the age of 23 years. Any news about the brutal murder could not be published in the press of the time due to the strict censorship.

The Ecuadorian Nela Martínez Espinosa (1912-2004) was a tireless fighter that stimulated the creation of multiple unions, such as the Confederation of Workers of Ecuador and the Ecuadorian Women’s Alliance. She strongly opposed the delivery of the Manta Military Base to the USA. As a friend of Cuba, she received the Order of Ana Betancourt in 1973.