The digitisation of the historical documents held by the National Archive will make these records, which constitute a key source for the study of the colonial period of Cuba's history in the 21st century, available to the international academic community.
London, 2 May 2025 - Cuba and the United Kingdom are strengthening their collaboration in the preservation of documentary heritage through the digitisation project of the Prisoners' Record Books of the Royal Prison of Havana, as part of the British Library's Endangered Archives programme.
The initiative is part of the academic cooperation project, promoted by Professor Jesús Sanjurjo-Ramos of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, in close collaboration with the National Archives of Cuba, an institution that since its foundation has provided invaluable support to academics and researchers of Cuban history.
The digitisation of these documents, held by the National Archive of the Republic of Cuba, not only ensures their preservation against the deterioration of time, but also makes them openly accessible to researchers around the world. This fosters a deeper understanding of the historical and social contexts that marked prison life on the island during the colonial period.
With this joint action, the UK and Cuba reaffirm their commitment to the protection of documentary heritage and the promotion of historical research as a bridge of understanding and cultural cooperation.