Cuban Cigar Roller Grabs Fourth Guinness World Record in FITCUBA 2009

Celebrated Cuban cigar roller Jose Castelar Cairo (Cueto) will officially lay hands Wednesday on his fourth Guinness World Record for making a gargantuan Habano of 150 feet long, a deed that was certified by the prestigious London-based company.

The ceremony will be a part of the closing ceremony of the 29th International Tourism Fair (FITCUBA 2009) at its main venue of the ancient Fortress of San Carlos de La Cabaña, on the east side of the island nation’s capital.

Cueto, as his workmates, friends and customers both in Cuba and overseas know him, rolled his universal cigar during the previous edition of his country’s number-one travel and tourism fair and counted on the support of Cuba’s Tourism Ministry and the UK Embassy in Havana to enter the famous Guinness Book of World Records.

Mr. Cueto had formerly rolled three other record-breaking cigars. His first entry was a 36-foot-long stogie, followed by a 49-footer. The last Guinness entry was a 65-foot-long Habano.

“These adventures make me very happy because I’ve done all this for Cuba, a country that’s recognized as the land of the world’s best tobacco,” Mr. Cueto said. “Today scores of cigar aficionados come from all over the world not only to puff on an exquisite habano, but also to find out how I did all this.”

And that’s nearly a daily development. People from all around the world walk in La Triada store –where Cueto is employed- in search of the exceptional cigar roller and his records. Those visitors got words of the deeds either through the Guinness magazine or other publication that speak of both Cueto and Cuba, its traditions and cultural values.

“They come to me,” he adds, “and riddle me with questions. Some of them tell me how admired they are because they’d never stood so close to a Guinness world record holder. Then they take pictures, look at my hands and touch them in complete awe.”

When he started in the cigar-rolling trade, he was the only one in his family. Even his grandma was biased about cigar rollers. However, Cueto has already put his deeds on the world map, touring several countries, like the UK, where he’s traveled to nearly a dozen times to attend fairs and Cuban Week celebrations as a guest from the Ministry of Tourism.

He’s also taken part in promotional events held in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Venezuela, Netherlands, Germany, Brazil and many other nations.