Film, art and letters

Elpidio Valdés was created in 1970 by Cuban cartoonist and filmmaker Juan Padrón, considered the father of Cuban film animation. The character first appeared in Pionero magazine.

Three feature films were produced: Elpidio Valdés (1979), Elpidio Valdés contra Dólar y Cañón (1983), and Elpidio Valdés contra el Águila y el León (1995), plus over twenty short films.

The iconic Ballad of Elpidio was composed and performed by Silvio Rodríguez, one of the founders of Cuba's Nueva Trova movement, with music by Lucas de la Guardia.

Elpidio Valdés is Cuba's most emblematic animated character. He taught generations of Cuban children about the wars of independence and became a symbol of ingenuity, bravery, and national identity.

Fusterlandia is a neighborhood in the fishing village of Jaimanitas, west of Havana, where artist José Fuster has covered over 80 homes and buildings with vibrant mosaics, sculptures, and ceramic art.