Perico
Municipality
A rural road near town's centre
Coat of arms
Perico municipality (red) within Matanzas Province (yellow) and Cuba
Coordinates: 22°46′31″N 81°00′55″W / 22.77528°N 81.01528°W / 22.77528; -81.01528
Country	Cuba
Province	Matanzas
Founded	1874[1]
Established	1879
Area [2]
• Total	278 km2 (107 sq mi)
Elevation	35 m (115 ft)
Population  (2022)[3]
• Total	29,746
• Density	110/km2 (280/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
Area code	+53-52

Perico is a municipality and town in the Matanzas Province of Cuba. It is located south of Marti, north of Colón and east of Jovellanos.

Geography

The municipality is divided into the barrios of Altamisal, Norte, Quintana, Roque, Sur and Tinguaro.^[1]

It counts the hamlets (consejos populares) of España Republicana, meaning Republican Spain, and Máximo Gómez, named after the military commander in Cuban War of Independence.

History

Perico was founded in 1874^[1] near a garrison of the Spanish Colonial Civil Guard. The name was changed in 1885 to Miguel de Cervantes, then restored to Perico in 1899.^[4]

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality of Perico had a population of 29,746.^[3] With a total area of 278 km² (107 sq mi),^[2] it has a population density of 110/km² (280/sq mi).

Transport

Perico is crossed by the Carretera Central highway and counts a railway station of the main line from Havana to Santiago de Cuba.

Notable people

• Félix Navarro Rodríguez, dissident^[5] He was later released.
• Minnie Miñoso, famed American League baseball player.
• Blanca Rosa Gil (1937-), famous Cuban bolero singer.