List of Famous people born in Santiago de Cuba Province, Cuba
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III, better known as Desi Arnaz, was a Cuban-American actor, musician, bandleader, comedian and film and television producer, revolutionary in the creation of modern television. He is best known for his role as the witty Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom I Love Lucy, in which he co-starred with his then wife Lucille Ball. Arnaz and Ball are generally credited as the innovators of the syndicated rerun, which they pioneered with the I Love Lucy series.
Yordenis Ugás
Yordenis Ugás Hernández is a Cuban professional boxer. He has held the WBA (Regular) welterweight title since September 2020 and on January 29 was promoted to WBA (Super) welterweight Champion by the WBA after Pacquiao was stripped for inactivity. previously challenged for the WBC welterweight title in 2019. As an amateur he won a gold medal at the 2005 World Championships and bronze at the 2008 Olympics, both in the lightweight division. As of November 2020, he is ranked as the world's fifth best active welterweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and seventh by The Ring magazine and BoxRec.
Guillermo Rigondeaux
Guillermo Rigondeaux Ortiz is a Cuban professional boxer. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBA (Regular) bantamweight title since February 2020 and previously, the unified WBA (Super), WBO, and Ring magazine super-bantamweight titles between 2013 and 2017. He also challenged once for the WBO super-featherweight title in 2017. As of February 2020, he is ranked as the world's best active super-bantamweight by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and fifth by The Ring, as well as the sixth best active bantamweight by BoxRec.
La Lupe
Lupe Victoria Yolí Raymond, better known as La Lupe, was a Cuban singer of boleros, guarachas and Latin soul, known for her energetic, sometimes controversial performances. Following the release of her first album in 1961, La Lupe moved from Havana to New York and signed with Tico Records, which marked the beginning of a prolific and successful career in the 1960s and 1970s. She retired in the 1980s due to religious reasons.
Adeiny Hechavarria
Adeiny Hechavarría Barrera is a Cuban professional baseball shortstop for the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. He made his MLB debut in 2012.
Antonio Maceo
Lt. General José Antonio de la Caridad Maceo y Grajales was second-in-command of the Cuban Army of Independence.
Faizon Love
Langston Faizon Santisima, professionally known as Faizon Love, is a Cuban-American actor and comedian. He is best known for roles in the films The Meteor Man, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Friday, B*A*P*S, Torque, Elf, The Replacements, Made, and Couples Retreat. Also, he is known for his role as Wendell Wilcox on The Parent 'Hood from 1995–1998. He also played Maurice Starr on BET's The New Edition Story.
Wilfredo Leon
Wilfredo León Venero is a Cuban–Polish professional volleyball player, member of the Cuba men's national volleyball team in 2007–2012 and a current member of the Poland men's national volleyball team and Italian club Sir Safety Perugia, silver medalist of the 2010 World Championship, NORCECA Champion, Cuban Champion, Russian Champion.
Alfredo Despaigne
Alfredo Despaigne Rodriguez is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder. He played for the Chiba Lotte Marines and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
Rita Marley
Alpharita Constantia Marley, OD, is a Cuban-born Jamaican singer and the widow of Bob Marley. She was a member of the vocal group the I Threes, along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, who gained recognition as the backing vocalists for Bob Marley and the Wailers.