Within the Revolution, everything

The word Cuba travels the world. Those who are grateful for the infinite labor of love that is the Revolution, know the keys to its history and its struggles; of their sons and daughters who struggled with pure courage in the face of adversities from the first colonial centuries, until crossing the misty neocolonial Republic facing its bloody dictatorships supervised by Yankee Imperialism. On the other hand, from January 1959 everything would be different, although the risks and dangers of the powerful neighbor, close to the Greater Antilles, would continue.

The Cubanness of the inhabitants of the island-archipelago, manifested in the rooted feeling of attachment and love for the homeland-nation, was the reason for their defense and care. Work as a collective effort made it be pushed by all its hands in search of the dreamed prosperity, which the founding fathers had already drawn in their thoughts.

History would be in charge of giving shape to that longing for a free and independent destiny that, in the majority, was preferred without political placements on the side of Empires, neither the Spanish nor the North American. History had solved that revolutionary equation, and armed the “islanders” with a shield, anthem and flag. For the homeland he died every day.

Accompanying historians

In the complex and difficult situation that lives, or lives poorly on the planet, or falls to its knees surrendered to danger, or gets up every day with an eye on the victory of life. With José Martí and Fidel Castro, as pillars to propel us forward.

Culling from history lessons of resistance and vigour; and the ability to warn the enemy’s movement in time and dodge his onslaught; and to weld with steel chains the unit. A better world is possible. It is up to us historians to teach more of those lessons to everyone. Show that the supreme aspiration is to build a prosperous homeland “with everyone and for the sake of all”; and in which an interdisciplinary, educated and emancipatory thought is collected. History calls us to that and more

Let us thank the teacher, the historian and the revolutionary Emilio Roig de Leuchsenring for teaching a new perspective and interpretation of historical science, which would open the way towards a more far-reaching and in-depth level of debates. He told us that history could not be complacent, veil truths and make characters and events invisible. History was to reflect and transform. History as liberating and emancipating man. The reaffirming history of faith in the people and in the country.

Historians have enormous challenges ahead, for Cuba and for the world.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García