This administrative change was proclaimed by Cuban Law Number 1304 of July 3, 1976,[2] and remains in place to this day.

Diego Velazquez founded the capital of Oriente province in 1514 and named it Santiago de Cuba.

Oriente Province is the cradle of much of Cuba's history being the place of Fidel and Raúl Castro's birth.

José Martí was killed in battle in Dos Ríos and many guerrilla wars have also taken place in Oriente.

[7] Even though Afro-Cubans fared better in Oriente, poverty was still rampant in the province and they remained oppressed by wealthy Cubans and foreign land owners.

Foreign investors saw opportunity within the province and began to buy as much land as possible to increase sugar production.

Massive demonstrations erupted and Afro-Cubans began to loot and burn businesses and property owned by foreign investors.

The presence of Americans, Jamaicans, Bahamians and Haitians, brought in by the United Fruit Company exacerbated racial problems not present until the U.S. occupation of 1898.