List of Famous people born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba

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.

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.

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.

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.

Vilma Lucila Espín Guillois was a Cuban revolutionary, feminist, and chemical engineer. She helped supply and organize the 26th of July Movement as an underground spy, and took an active role in many branches of the Cuban government from the conclusion of the revolution to her death. As an adamant feminist, Espín helped found the Federation of Cuban Women and promoted equal rights for Cuban women in all spheres of life.

Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y Alberni II was a Cuban politician and the father of Desi Arnaz.

Osmany Juantorena Portuondo is a Cuban-born Italian volleyball player, a member of Cuba national volleyball team in 2003–2006 and current member of Italy national volleyball team and Italian club Cucine Lube Civitanova. Juantorena was bronze medalist of the 2005 World League and silver medalist 2016 Summer Olympics. He is a multiple winner of the CEV Champions League and FIVB Club World Championship with the Italian club Trentino Volley. Juantorena is the record owner of the highest number of Most Valuable Player awards at FIVB Club World Championship, with 4 times.

Héctor Olivera Amaro is a Cuban former professional baseball left fielder. He was part of the Cuban team that won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves.

Eustacia María Caridad del Río Hernández, better known as Caridad del Río, Caridad Mercader or Caritat Mercader, was a Cuban communist militant and an agent of the Soviet NKVD. She is also known for being the mother of Ramón Mercader, the assassin of Leon Trotsky, and for having personally participated in the operation.

Héctor Vinent Cháron was a Cuban boxer, who won the Light Welterweight Gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Olympics. Hector appears in Brin-Jonathan Butler's forthcoming documentary Split Decision. He currently trains athletes at the Istanbul based gym Mugenhous in Turkey.