At the Gala Theater in DC, a tribute was held by family and friends to someone who, as Lianys Torres, head of the Cuban Mission in the United States, expressed, was a recognition of “one of its most loyal sons.”
Rumbaut, who died on June 28 at Washington Hospital Center, never lost his roots. Torres remembered that “he collaborated with the magazine Areito and was an active member of the Antonio Maceo Brigade, with which he returned to the island in 1977 as a volunteer in social construction programs.”
“Once in the United States, Luis never stopped thinking, writing, or talking about Cuba. As editor of the digital newsletter La Alborada, he amplified his media influence from this country, participating in key debates for our nation,” he added.
But above all, he emphasized, Rumbaut “distinguished himself by building bridges between the island and his community abroad. He was not a passive observer, but an active player in political, cultural, and social dialogue. He participated in forums, wrote from an ethical perspective, and contributed to giving visibility to a narrative of commitment and reconciliation.”
During the tribute, an audiovisual presentation was shown that captured Rumbaut’s human character and political activism; music was also played. Luci Murphy sang the internationally acclaimed “Cuba que linda es Cuba” by the late singer-songwriter Eduardo Saborit.
Behind him, on the stage, a photo of Rumbaut, as if looking out at everyone. Personal belongings, pictures from different moments in his life, lit candles, congas, guitars, sunflowers, and the ever-present Cuban flag.
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