Oct. 1960 – As a member of YSA delegation to the Latin American Youth Congress in Cuba this summer, I wanted to see for myself what changes the revolution had wrought in the country, to meet some of the Cuban students, workers and peasants, and to try in whatever way I could to convince them that there are people in the United states who support the Cuban revolution despite the barrage of slanders in the press.
One of the first things the delegation did was to attend the 26th of July celebration in the Sierra Maestra Mountains where the Revolution was born. The site of the celebration was the grounds of a giant “school city” which will eventually house 20,000 students from peasant families. Already 500 youngsters who never had the chance to attend school before are living, working and studying in the completed sections.
People from all parts of Cuba and from all walks of life attempted to make the long rugged, dusty journey to participate in the “concentracion” or “mass rally.” Members of the youth militia were collecting donations of food and arranging travel facilities for the hundreds and thousands making the trip from Havana.
Special arrangements to make part of the trip by train were made for the delegates to the Latin American Youth Congress. The train stopped at several stations where we were greeted by brass bands and masses of cheering Cuban carrying banners and flags, chanting, singing, and applauding. “Cuba Si, Yankees No!” They shouted “Venceremos!” (We will win!) When we declared that we were North American supporters of the Cuban Revolution, hundreds reached out to shake our hands. They assured us that “Yankee No!” did not refer to the American people but to the American government, which had supported the Batista regime and is now opposing the Revolution. “Why does the American press tell lies about our revolution?” they demanded.
Like everyone in Cuba, the youth expressed pride in their independence and insisted that they don’t want to be ruled by another country, no matter which side of the world it belongs to. Many of them felt that Cuba was heading for “humanistic” socialism. They said that the last election in Cuba, the most popular election they ever had, was the Revolution two years ago and that the Revolutionary Government was carrying out all its promises to the people.
COUNT-REVOLUTIONISTS
There are some counter-revolutionaries in Cuba. It is not difficult to understand who they are and why. We went to a few stores to buy gifts and souvenirs. One store owner told us that before the Revolution he would take in $3,000 a day from tourists but now some days brought in only $30. “Is it right to take from some to give to others?” he demanded after we asked his opinion about the benefits of the Agrarian Reform. He said he wasn’t concerned about the “lazy peasant,’ but about HIMSELF and HIS store.
The INIT (Cuban Tourist Institute) provided many excursions for Congress delegates to see co-operatives, housing projects, and new schools. Some of us were taken to Los Pinos, a large farm co-operative of several hundred acres in Pinar del Rio Province, previously owned by one of Batista’s sons. Formerly, six farm hands made a meager living on this land. Now 500 peasants live here, utilizing the latest scientific methods to raise a greater abundance and diversity of agricultural products.
The INIT not only works to attract and entertain foreign visitors, but also provides exciting low-cost guided tours for the Cuban people, many of whom are now seeing the great beauties of their own country for the first time. Beautiful new beach and park facilities, modern furnished cabanas, bath houses, swimming pools, and sports fields are being constructed all over the island to accommodate working people and their families who could never afford such pleasures before.
HOUSING LOTTERY
We visited some of the low-cost housing projects erected by the INAV, the National Institute of Housing and Savings. The INAV has taken the national lottery, which used to earn millions for private interests, and uses the proceeds to build these projects. Beautiful apartments are available at about 10 per cent of the workers’ wages. Their rent goes to pay the cost of the dwelling after which they own it. Each building varies in color and decoration. The inhabitants of some of the slums bine g cleared help in the construction.
It was exciting to tour Camp Columbia where thousands of Batista’s soldiers were once quartered, but whose barracks are now being remodeled into school rooms and dormitories. The rebuilding of the camp, now called the City of Liberty, is being supervised by a 26-year-old architectural student as his mater’s thesis, without pay. He showed us around the huge area, where we saw new building techniques and materials, the modern class room furniture, and the lovely student dorms. We were introduced to workers who took great interest in building the school because their children are going to study there beginning this September. The plants, flowers and trees beautifying the grounds were donated by people from over Havana. An immense swimming pool will be constructed in the center of the campus and large sports stadiums erected nearby.
BURY MR. MONOPOLY
On August 6th, in a speech to the Youth Congress, Fidel Castro announced the nationalisation of most of the American business holding in Cuba. The Cuban Confederation of Trade Unions sponsored a Nationalization Jubilee Week to rejoice over this action. A few days after Castro announced the good news, a spontaneous demonstration was held by more than a thousand telephone and utility workers riding and banging tool on their company trucks, hundred more walking with lit candles, carrying funeral wreaths and coffins, waving banners, singing and shouting slogans. They were holding a mock funeral for Mr. and Mrs. Monopoly which terminated in a joyous outdoor festival, after they dumped the coffins into the harbor. Many parties were held throughout the week based on this theme. Banners adorning lamp posts, buses, office buildings, stores, and homes were seen declaring the solidarity of the chemical workers, petroleum workers, bank workers, the Woolworth employees, and others with nationalizations. In may cases, the workers’ signs demanded nationalizing all the American interests.
A number of American students came to Cuba purely because of curiosity, already prepared by State Department propaganda to believe the worst about the Revolution and the government. Yet some healthy instinct told them to find out for themselves. It was heartening to witness their reaction to Cuba after their had seen the cooperatives, the new schools, the housing projects, and above all, they had talked with the Cuban people. The spirit of the Revolution had made an imprint on their minds, more than any literature or speech could do.
First published in the Young Socialist