Feliz veinteseis de julio! (Happy 26th of July) On this day in 1953, a young lawyer named Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (26 at the time) and his baby bro, Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz led a group of 135 young rebels to storm the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba.
Short run down of the events of the Cuban revolution: http://www.biography.com/people/fidel-castro-9241487/videos/fidel-castro-mini-biography-2079117496
The Goal: to deal a major blow to Batista's army and to secure weapons in order to execute a coup
The Result:
1. Short Term: un fracaso (a failure)-The insurgency is crushed. Nine rebels are killed, 11 are wounded. All those who couldn't hide or eventually flee the country were put on trial and sent to jail. After passionately defending himself and inditing the Batista government of failing the Cuban people, Castro is imprisoned.
2. Longish term: While in jail, Castro writes La Historia me absolverá (History Will Absolve Me) and continues to organize an eventually very successful movement to overthrow Fulgencio Batista on January 1st, 1959.
Notechaself: If you fail, try, try again! :p
Anyways, we all pretty much know something about the Cuban Revolution. If you are, have ever been, or have ever known any super Leftist, Che t-shirt wearing wannabe revolutionary, today is like his/her second birthday. *Sigh* Reader, I'm not going to give you a historical account of what happened, who was involved, and the ripple effects of the Cuban Revolution because if I were to do such a thing, it would be a book. And obviously, since you're not paying me for my services, I don't feel obligated to provide you such great detail. Also, if you're really interested, Google it or better yet, go to your library and read about it. There's a crap ton of documentation to satisfy your curious mind! Instead, I'll toss in my humble two cents about what I think revolutions are all about:
Cuban Revolution= the nation of Cuba being free from the economic/political bondage of the United States + Cuban citizens being free from the economic/political bondage of their own government
A revolution isn't a moment in time, like today was 60 years ago. It isn't a blast of a cannon, a firing of a pistol, or an igniting of flames on human flesh. No amount of eloquent words, tweets or Facebook posts can launch a revolution unless a group of people are ready to get off their collective asses and do something about a grave injustice. In the case of the Cuban Revolution, it was the young people, the poor people, and many of those who were screwed over by the Batista regime who declared: "We're done. No more." But rather than just saying so, they actually did something about it. Yes, it was a violent something but many argue that the only way to take power is through violence. [I beg to disagree. I abhor violence and believe that it gets no one anywhere except to a hospital or a grave.] But honestly, the Cuban revolutionaries were following in the legacy of their American and French counterparts who acted before them and left their mark for the young Tunisian and Egyptian women and men who came after them. Revolutions are a whole-lota things but two thing they are not are quick and clean.
Those who were tortured/lost their lively hoods/lost their reputations/lost their lives didn't do it so that history would absolve Fidel Castro or make a sexy leftist icon out of Ernesto Che Guevara. They did it to give the Cuban people their dignity. It is the type of dignity only economic and political independence can create. The restoration of dignity Jose Marti (the number one mustachioed face you see everywhere on the island) died trying to establish in 1895 was carried on by Castro and the hip-cool-downwithit-troublemakin-dang-nab-kid-get-off-my-lawn-whydoyouplayyourrocknrollmusicsoloudly- youth of the 1950's generation . Its a revolution that is carried on today by people like Yoani Sanchez and countless other young, nameless Cubans who refuse to live in a country where they cannot speak freely about certain topics (*cough cough how the Cuban government sucks a lot of times) without fear of imprisonment, cannot earn the fair wages of their labor and education, and cannot travel where they wish among other injustices the Castro regime has forced this generation, our generation to endure.
Viva la revolucion!
So to them, to the revolutionaries in Syria, Palestine, Turkey, and in my country and in your's, I say: "Viva la Revolucion!" We who are privileged with worldly comforts, a computer with internet connection, and the freedom (albeit limited) to openly criticize and choose our politicians owe to those who have the courage to voice their grievances and to get off their asses and fight for change our attention. Its the least we can give.
Paz, amor y besitos desde NJ a Cuba y en cualquier pais vives, mi querido lector! ;)
(Peace, love, and kisses from NJ to Cuba and to which ever country you live in my darling reader)
-Loretta
Pictures and other stuff!
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José Martí |
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| Good ole Propoganda at the Revolution Museum! The top part reads: "Free Press". Haha! Free press my ass. The Granma (super proganda filled government newpaper) is the main source of news most people on the island have access to. |
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| Guns Kill People and violent people pull the triggers |
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| Celia Sanchez!!! Kickin butt and being a woman. Read about her! http://monthlyreview.org/2013/02/01/celia-sanchez-and-the-cuban-revolution |
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| Vilma Espin: Another gun totin woman of the Revolution. |
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| The Three Musketeers: Che, Fidel, and Camilo |
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| The Gang's All Here: Important figures and events from all of Cuba's 4 major Revolutions |
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| Marti: This man's face is everywhere on this island! |
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| The coolest apartment exterior decoration I've ever seen! |
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| From the building I took my Cuban literature class. Written on the Monster's skin are names of major international corporations (McDonald's, Nike, etc) and the 99% are trying to bring them down. |
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| One of the wood carvings my artist friend made. |
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| Live Free, Cuba, live free! |
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| Lazy, chill cat=my animal spirit |
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| Revolutionary Puppies |
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| Marti+Lincoln=BFFs 4eva! |
A documentary about the Cuban revolution (in Spanish) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJvUjnB8L0U
El blog de Yoani en espanol: http://lageneraciony.com/
Recent article from the NYT: Harsh Self-Assessment as Cuba Looks Within
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/world/americas/harsh-self-assessment-as-cuba-looks-within.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
News flash to Raul and Fidel: Listen dudes. It isn't that reggeton, drugs, and violent media that are making the Cuban youth violent, lazy, and acting like hooligans. Give the young people well paying jobs (Yeah, I know easier said than done especially when the largest economy/most powerful country in the world isn't really on your side), and the freedom to express themselves. Also, what right do you have to criticize the people if they can't criticize you back?!
Really short, but interesting post, as usual I like seeing your thoughts on the matter.For some reason what surprised me the most was that, low and behold, there are women who played a part in the revolution and that they're recognized for it.
ResponderBorrarActually, not too surprising in the case of Cuba. Yeah,its a patriarchal society but in the post revolution era, Cuban women made great strides towards narrowing the gender gap. The literacy campaign increased female literacy rates and women dominate in high skill industries like engineering, and have easy access to divorce among other rights. Actually, in last year's Global Gender Gap Index, Cuba ranked #19-right below the UK and 3 points above the US! Anyways,the Cuban government appears to provide as much resources as it can to helping women to improve their lives.
ResponderBorrar