Tag: History

Remember the Cuban People’s Victory at the Bay of Pigs

REMEMBER THE CUBAN PEOPLE’S VICTORY AT THE BAY OF PIGS

April 17 – April 20, 1961

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

The ruling class of the United States was never happy about the triumphant 1959 Cuban Revolution, especially after Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz announced the Socialist direction Cuba would pursue. And as the leadership of the July 26 Movement demonstrated to embrace Marxism–Leninism and began implementing anti-capitalist policies like the nationalization of multinational companies and expropriation of wealthy families, Washington officials became alarmed.

And as diplomatic relations with the United States deteriorated Cuba sought greater ties with the Soviet Union. Havana and Moscow discussed making numerous trade agreements that also included the supply of weapons. Washington officials viewed these developments with extreme disdain.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower secretly authorized the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to prepare right-wing Cubans in exile, formerly of Fulgencio Batista’s Army, for a future invasion of Cuba. By the time John F. Kennedy became President the CIA had drawn up plans for eventual intervention, focusing on storming Cuba’s southern coast.

The objective was to overthrow the Cuban government and punish the revolution for daring to break away from the U.S. colonial stranglehold. To this day U.S. rulers adamantly take to heart the 1823 Monroe Doctrine, which staked out the Western Hemisphere as the “backyard” of the United States.

Washington officials became obsessed with Cuba and dreaded the idea of other countries in Latin American and the Caribbean becoming inspired by the Revolution. Eisenhower and Kennedy engaged in every effort to isolate Cuba, using the Organization of American States (OAS) and making the Green Berets, Army Special Forces, officially operational to deter revolutionary insurgencies.

Ernesto Che Guevara and Fidel Castro Ruz, led the defeat of the CIA at the Bay of Pigs.

Two days before the invasion, air strikes were launched by the CIA with B-26 bombers disguised as Cuban aircrafts. The mission of these pilots was destroying Cuba’s airfields and war planes. The goal was to cripple the Revolutionary Armed Forces’ (RAF) capability to counterattack from the air. However, the CIA’s Aireal operation failed with most of Cuba’s combat planes remaining intact.

When the CIA onslaught began in the early morning hours of April 17, 1961, it was met by a local militia, mostly peasant farmers who were part of the RAF. The counterrevolutionary force known as Brigade 2506, was kept at bay until reinforcements arrived. At that point, about 200,000 troops of the RAF and militias arrived with Fidel Castro Ruz in command.

Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz directing the logistics of the battle from a Soviet made SU-100 tank.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces charging the CIA-sponsored invaders at the Bay of Pigs.
These weapons were confiscated from the CIA-sponsored Brigade 2506.

The armed conflict was intense and lasted until April 20th. In less than a day of fighting about 1500 CIA-trained exiled Cubans surrendered, some were overwhelmed by the unexpected heavy gunfire and fled on boats. In addition, 114 were killed in combat.

The CIA plan to establish a beachhead to be followed by a full-scale U.S. military invasion ended in complete disaster. Cuba’s Revolutionary Air Force managed to drop bombs and destroy two ships filled with ammunition and medical supplies for the counterrevolutionaries. Pockets of Brigade 2506 were pinned down and surrounded by superior numbers of revolutionary troops.

Days before the assault was launched Cuba’s RAF intelligence discovered precisely where the U.S.-backed counterrevolutionaries would land. Cuba had a sophisticated spy network long established by the July 26 Movement.

Thanks to the leadership of Comandante Fidel Castro Ruz, Ernesto Che Guevara, Vilma Espin, Celia Sanchez, and Cuba’s mass organizations like the Federation of Cuban Women, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, and People’s Militias, which prevented the re-colonization of their homeland.

Members of the Federation of Cuban Women..
Members of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.

The U.S. government was humiliated. The Cuban government forced Washington officials to negotiate for the release of their 1,100 captured puppet combatants. Numerous parties, including the American Red Cross, played a role as go-between in the public and closed negotiations.

Mainstream figures and the capitalist mass media attempted to defame Fidel Castro Ruz because of his insistence that retribution for the invasion was justified. Cuba was accused of demanding a “ransom” for the release of the prisoners of war as if they were kidnapped victims.

But Cuban diplomats remained firm stating that it was Cuba’s sovereignty that was violated by the captives. In the end, due to pressure from the families of prisoners as well as several international organizations, the U.S. government was politically pressured to an agreement.

Watch video footage of the Bay of Pigs battle.

At first, President Fidel Castro Ruz demanded tractors for heavy construction needed to industrialize the country. But at the end, the U.S. and Cuban governments agreed on $53 million worth of baby food and medicines, in exchange for the prisoners.

The Bay of Pigs incident caused major political embarrassment for the Kennedy Administration. U.S. officials have never recovered from the shock brought upon them by the CIA’s defeat at the Bay of Pigs. The imperial arrogance of U.S. rulers led them to underestimate the collective consciousness and revolutionary ferment that was occurring in Cuba.

Surrounded by security and staff, Fidel Castro walks pass combatants captured at the Bay of Pigs.

Since Cuba’s initial break with U.S. domination in 1959, the majority of the population have been organized for the country’s defense. Overlooking that particular detail, an essential aspect of the revolution, was the greatest mistake made by U.S. imperialism at the Bay of Pigs.

What this historic battle reaffirms is that no tyrant is invincible. Oppressed people can meet any challenge, no matter how difficult and win. That includes pushing back on continued attempts to undermine Cuba’s right to self-determination and strive to end the more than six decades old economic blockade.

LONG LIVE THE CUBAN REVOLUTION!

Haydee Santamaria: Heroine of the Cuban Revolution

_________________________________________________________________________

“Moncada achieves greatness through the courage of those who die and those who live. Moncada would have been nothing without the courage of those who died there and those who lived.” – Haydee Santamaria

_________________________________________________________________________

Haydee Santamaria: Heroine of the Cuban Revolution

December 30, 1922 – July 28, 1980

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

Haydee Santamaria was a courageous heroine of the Cuban Revolution. She played a significant role in the July 26, 1953, attack on the Moncada Barracks, in Santiago De Cuba – the battle that marks the start of the Cuban Revolution.

Along with Haydee Santamaria’s close comrade Melba Hernandez, they were the only women among the 150 revolutionary combatants in this historic event.

After the failed Moncada assault and while in custody, Batista’s henchmen attempted to intimidate Haydee Santamaria using horror. The interrogators showed Haydee the gouged eyes of her brother, Abel Santamaria, and the dismembered genitalia of her fiancé, Boris Luis Santa Coloma. The two revolutionaries were heinously tortured to death.

Melba Hernandez (l) and Haydee Santamaria (r) after their arrest by Batista soldiers.

Haydee stood firm by her revolutionary convictions and refused to surrender information the torturers wanted. She courageously responded: “If you did that to them and they didn’t talk, much less will I.”

Although Haydee Santamaria and Melba Hernandez were given a short prison sentence of 7 months, as compared to 15 years Fidel Castro Ruz and others received, prison guards were no less lenient with their physical abuse. Santamaria and Hernandez were treated with the same vindictive hatred as were their male comrades. Santamaria and Hernandez were routinely beaten and tortured during their incarceration.

During the armed struggle Haydee became part of the all-women battalion called the Mariana Grajales Platoon. This unit part of the July 26 Rebel Army fought courageously in many incursions with government troops during the revolution, especially battles in the Sierra Maestra mountains.

Haydee Santamaria is among a long list of women warriors who made possible the victory of the Cuban Revolution, like her comrades-in-arms Vilma Espin and Celia Sanchez.

My portrait of Haydee Santamaria, painted in 2024. 20″ X 24″, acrylic paint on canvas.

Haydee Santamaria demonstrated bravery above expectation. In the period leading up to the decisive battles of the revolution she made several risky trips between Florida and Cuba to smuggle weapons and ammunitions for the guerilla army.

Following the overthrow of the Batista regime, like most members of the July 26 Rebel Army, Haydee Santamaria played an important and leading role in the uncertain and challenging period of consolidating Cuba’s revolutionary government.

Among Santamaria’s achievements was the creation of Casa De Las Americas, in April 1959. This entity served as an ideological cultural weapon which generated crucial support for the Cuban Revolution. It gave a voice to many visual, literary, and performing artists who used their renditions to convey the ideas of the Revolution to millions of people throughout the globe.

The world renown Silvio Rodriguez was among the many talents produced by what Casa De Las Americas set out to achieve as its mission. Silvio Rodriguez eventually led Cuba’s Nueva Trova movement which used the romanticism of music and song to legitimize the revolutionary cause in Cuba and all Latin America.

Haydee Santamaria was Director of Casa De Las Americas for two decades. Although Santamaria was not an artist herself, she understood the important role played by painters, musicians, writers, poets and other intellectuals in shaping the thinking of society throughout history. As a leader of the Communist Party of Cuba, Haydee’s contributions were politically geared by the new culture the Revolution was striving to create.

The Cuban Revolution has provided the world with many valuable lessons that pertain to the role of culture and art in the struggle for human emancipation. Such is universally applicable today under all circumstances.

From left to right: Haydee Santamaria, Celia Sanchez and Fidel Castro Ruz in the Sierra Maestra.

Sadly, the life of this revolutionary heroine ended in tragedy. Haydee unbeknownst to many people, was suffering from chronic depression. On July 28, 1980, to the shock of her close comrades, all of Cuba and the world, Haydee committed suicide.

Although her death was widely mourned, Haydee did not receive a state funeral. Many speculated that this decision was due to the unfamiliarity on how to respond when a government official unexpectedly takes their own life. Others attributed not having a state funeral to the deep religious influence of Catholicism in Cuba. Her battle with mental illness and eventual suicide was considered taboo and a “sin against God”.

Tragically, information and resources for those suffering with acute mental health issues such as depression, were not available then as it is today in Cuba.

Haydee Santamaria’s contributions continue to be a critical part of Cuba’s history and legacy. Her staunch bravery and strategic planning helped to shape Cuba into a powerful political example throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and many countries in the world for many generations to come.

LONG LIVE THE CUBAN REVOLUTION!

LONG LIVE THE LEGACY OF HAYDEE SANTAMARIA!

Long live the legacy of Comandante Celia Sanchez!

________________________________________________________________________

“We rebels… get far too much credit for winning the Revolution. Our enemies deserve most of the credit, for being greedy cowards and idiots.”                    -Celia Sanchez

____________________________________________________________________

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

One of the greatest heroines and leader of the 1959 Cuban Revolution was Celia Sánchez. This historic figure played a pivotal role in the revolutionary struggle that resulted in the overthrow of the notorious U.S.-puppet Fulgencio Batista.

Celia Sanchez was born on May 9, 1920, in the municipality of Media Luna, Oriente, Cuba. She grew up in a relatively affluent household and raised by her father, Dr. Manuel Sanchez, who practiced medicine. Celia’s mother died when she was a very young child.

During her early adulthood, Sanchez worked assisting her father’s medical clinic until she became inspired to be politically active, a change that came about in her life in response to Batista’s military coup on March 10, 1952. Celia’s political involvement led her to organize the July 26th Movement in the municipality of Manzanillo, Cuba in 1955.

Fidel Castro Ruz named the new entity the “JULY 26 MOVEMENT” to honor the martyrs that courageously attempted to seize the Moncada Barracks by force on July 26, 1953. Although the attack ended in failure with many revolutionaries killed by torture, the event sparked the Cuban Revolution.

My portrait of Celia Sanchez, painted in 2016. 24″ X 30″, acrylic paint on canvas.

Celia never hesitated to voluntarily take on tasks, including such that posed danger and required risking her life. This heroine’s passionate energy and uncompromising commitment to the revolution made her one of the most trusted comrades of Fidel Castro Ruz’s and Ernesto Che Guevara.

Cuba was militarily invaded and colonized by the United States, along with the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico, the consequence of the 1898 Spanish-American War. Although the United States gave Cuba the political status “Protectorate”, with cleverly disguised semblances of “independence”, it was actually another form of outright colonial domination.

What replaced Spain’s tyrannical rule in Cuba was a system exclusively serving the interest of U.S. monopoly capitalism which aimed to super-exploit the Cuban people. Cuba’s sugar, tobacco, textiles, and tourism was the target of U.S. billionaires while the people went further into the depths of poverty and despair.

Celia Sanchez with fellow guerillas in the Sierra Maestra mountains.

And because U.S. rulers were motivated by malicious intent it was natural for their less significant junior partners in the Mafia to behave like scavengers and turn Cuba into a haven for every kind of criminal activity. Havana became the epicenter of capitalist decadence endorsed by the native white elite.

While Batista government officials catered to the comforts of U.S. financial investors they viewed the Cuban people with disdain. Their disposition resulted in the deaths of 20,000 Cuban men, women and children, who were mercilessly shot, tortured and raped by police and soldiers of the Batista regime.

Celia Sanchez was a staunch Marxist–Leninist who desired to teach the doctrine she embraced and strived to embed its principles as the guiding light of the Communist Party of Cuba. She was among many in that experience who wanted to ensure the revolution’s anti-capitalist direction.

Celia Sanchez posing with her weapon.

In December 1956, Sanchez shared the responsibility for deciding the location where the Granma boat would land on Cuba’s coastal shores once it arrived from Mexico, filled with combatants ready to fight. She also took responsibility for recruiting and training from among the poor peasants and workers to provide reinforcements for the Rebel Army.

As the guerillas intensified their actions Batista responded by increasing repression on the populace to tighten his grip on power. The frenzy Batista demonstrated with terror only served to inspire mass support for the Rebel Army.

From l to r: Vilma Espin, Fidel Castro Ruz, Raul Castrol Ruz, and Celia Sanchez.

Along with other women combatants like Vilma Espin and Haydee Santamaria, Celia Sanchez play a pivotal role in organizing a broad network for smuggling weapons, food and medical supplies to the growing Rebel Army in the mountains.

These warrior women were compelled to fight on two fronts, against the ruthless Batista army on the one hand, and sexist traditions manifesting in paternalistic behavior from male comrades. However, through example the Cuban Revolution took many steps forward towards achieving women’s equality. This is a continuous ideological struggle in which Celia Sanchez played a big role initiating, as a leading combatant at first, then a government official.

Sanchez was the first woman to join the July 26 Rebel Army. And because of her experiences and courage under gunfire from enemy troops she earned a leadership role in the Rebel Army’s General Staff.

Celia Sanchez in the Sierra Maestra.

After the overthrow of U.S. and Mafia controlled Batista’s regime, it was of the utmost importance for the revolution to consolidate in order to guard against a counterrevolution and retain political power. Washington officials were furious in disbelief of what had occurred in “their backyard.” The more extreme elements of the U.S. ruling class were itching to call for military intervention.

Celia Sanchez’s leadership during this period was instrumental for consolidating the new revolutionary state. She served the Cuban Government as Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and in the Department of Services of the Council of State. Her many examples of valor served to inspire and galvanize support for the revolution among the youth.

Celia Sanchez being honored in a state funeral.

Sadly, on January 11, 1980, Celia Sanchez died after a long battle with lung cancer. Her death saddened many in Cuba and supporters of the revolution throughout the world, familiar with her feats. President Fidel Castro Ruz was known to be devastated having lost someone with whom he had developed a strong personal and political bond.

Sanchez always demonstrated selflessness and a passion for the emancipation of humanity. Her contributions to the revolution’s achievements are cardinal. She has secured a very special place for her legacy in the archives of the Cuban Revolution and the struggles for women’s equality throughout the world.

LONG LIVE THE CUBAN REVOLUTION!

LONG LIVE THE LEGACY OF CELIA SANCHEZ!

Tribute to VILMA ESPIN, a heroine of the Cuban Revolution

_________________________________________________________________________

“What did the triumphant revolution offer our women? A new life, filled with possibilities and prospects, in which their deepest dreams might become reality. A society in which that which is most precious to us all-our children’s future-would be assured. A different society, where the people would be masters and mistresses of their own destiny, where they would exert their rights fully, where new values would come into being. The triumph offered our women the opportunity to study and to work, it offered them economic security, thereby putting an end to oppression and hardship. It opened prospects of health care, of social security. For women, the revolution meant the opportunity to attain human dignity.” -Vilma Espin.

________________________________________________________________________

Para la versión en español: https://carlitoboricua.blog/?p=13709&preview=true

Salute to Vilma Espin, heroine of the Cuban Revolution

April 7, 1930 – June 18, 2007

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

One of the greatest highlights of the 1959 Cuban Revolution is the role played by women. Among the heroines of this historic event was Vilma Lucila Espin Guillois, better known as Vilma Espin. She was born on April 7, 1930, in Santiago De Cuba to a relatively wealthy family that taught her progressive values. It was during her formative years when she developed affinities for the poor.

Espin became politically active at a young age during her studies for chemical engineering at the University of Oriente, in Santiago de Cuba. She organized student demonstrations there against the 1952 military coup and dictatorship of the notorious U.S.-puppet Fulgencio Batista. In a country where poverty, misery, and turmoil prevailed compelled the young Vilma to question what the causes were for unpleasant things she witnessed.

Although the political status of Cuba was cleverly disguised with semblances of “independence” it was actually under a colonial-type domination by the United States. Cuba was militarily invaded and colonized along with the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico, the consequence of the 1898 Spanish-American War.

My portrait of Vilma Espin. 24″ X 30″, acrylic paint on canvas.

After completing her post-graduate studies at the Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts Vilma Espin became one of the first Cuban women to earn a degree in chemical engineering. When Espin returned to Cuba, she met with the 22-year-old Cuban revolutionary Frank Pais. Soon after, she eagerly participated in organizing the July 26 Movement.

Vilma Espin began working as a messenger between survivors of the failed 1953 Moncada Barracks attack exiled in Mexico and the anti-Batista movement in Cuba. After the disastrous arrival to Cuba of the Granma yacht carrying revolutionary combatants who engaged in a gun battle with pro-Batista troops, Vilma Espin joined Fidel and Raul Castro in the Sierra Maestra. By then Espin was a guerilla fighter herself.

After Espin proved her loyalty to the revolutionary cause by diligently performing her duties, she earned a leadership rank in the Rebel Army, alongside figures like Ernesto Che Guevara, Fidel Castro Ruz, Raul Castro Ruz, Celia Sanchez, Haydee Santamaria, Melba Hernandez, Camilo Cienfuegos, Teté Puebla, and others.

Eventually, the circumstances of political activity influenced the personal lives of Vilma Espin and Rebel Army leader Raul Castro Ruz. The two revolutionaries developed a romantic relationship and married shortly after the overthrow of the Batista regime. They established a family with four children, three daughters and a son. Their names are Deborah, Mariela, Nilsa, and Alejandro (Castro Espin).

Raul Castro Ruz and Vilma Espin.

In addition to serving as a political cadre in the Cuban government and Communist Party, Espin played an exemplary role in her professional field as a chemical engineer. She led the way to establish the country’s chemical industry, such as in biopharmaceuticals, industrial and medicinal gases, fertilizers, pesticides, and more.

Vilma Espin’s contributions in this scientific field proved valuable for Cuba’s medical research in vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases like Covid-19, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, as well as for cancer and so on. Long after her death, the achievements of her work continue to play a vital role pushing back on the vindictive U.S. economic blockade.

From left to right: Vilma Espin, Fidel Castro Ruz, Raul Castro Ruz, and Celia Sanchez.

As the moment for the seizure of power approached, Vilma Espin’s work as a leading intelligence operative for the underground spy network of the July 26 Movement proved decisive for demoralizing and neutralizing enemy troops. Along with another Cuban revolutionary heroine Celia Sanchez, Espin was responsible for maintaining a steady flow of weapons, food, and medical supplies for revolutionary forces in the Sierra Maestra Mountains.

Being well-versed in the intricacies of organization, Espin played a pivotal role in the creation of the new revolutionary government. She served as a member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party from 1965 to 1989. She was chair of the Commission for Social Prevention from 1967 to 1971, director of Industrial Development in the Ministry of Food in 1971, President of the Institute of Childcare, and member of the Cuban Council of State in 1976. In addition, Vilma Espin served as Cuba’s representative on the United Nations General Assembly.

No one can ever dispute that Vilma Espin’s and Raul Castro Ruz’s daughter, Mariela Castro Espin, took after both her parents. It is evident that she was ideologically influenced by the ideals of the revolution during her childhood rearing. Today, Mariela is known throughout the world as a leading voice for LGBTQ+ rights in Cuba, as director of the Cuban National Center for Sex Education.

The Federation of Cuban Women

Vilma Espin was a bulwark for revolutionary ideas, upholding Socialism. She made it her life-mission to challenge backward traditions long established by the Roman Catholic Church, especially, that which justifies gender oppression. This is why Espin was an outspoken advocate for gender equality and in 1960 she set out to create the Federation of Cuban Women (La Federación de Mujeres Cubanas, FMC).

Members of the Federation of Cuban Women (La Federación de Mujeres Cubanas)

The FMC is an organized force with the purpose of empowering women in Cuba. Throughout its existence the organization has introduced and argued for enacting decrees that protect the interest of women. Vilma Espin served as president of the FMC until her death on June 18, 2007.

The FMC continues to be a vital organ of the Cuban Revolution. It follows the motto that without the participation of women would pose a hinderance to the aims of the revolution. This is what made the Communist Party’s support for the FMC a matter of supreme importance.

The FMC addresses issues of the utmost concern to women, such as:

  • A general pronouncement for women’s equal rights.
  • Intergration of women in politics and government administration.
  • Complete integration of women into the economy.
  • Adequate healthcare for women.
  • Childcare for the very young.
  • Women’s access to education.
  • Reorganizing households that keep women in subservient positions.
  • Creating self-defense classes for women to end physical abuse.

During the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Federation of Cuban Women picked up arms in defense of their country.

During the CIA-organized Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, Vilma Espin’s role in the FCW was vital. This powerful entity mobilized women of all ages for battle during a threatening moment when U.S. intervention seemed likely. They stood ready as part of an armed infrastructure composed of all mass organizations in Cuban society.

In the days leading up to the Bay of Pigs invasion the CIA conducted acts of sabotage on the country’s food supply. Many crop fields were viciously set ablaze. A state of emergency was called by the Cuban government. The Revolutionary Cuban Army and the various mass organizations, including the FMC, were mobilized. Thousands of armed women in organized contingencies were dispatched to farming fields throughout Cuba.

Despite the hardships Cuba faces caused by the U.S. economic blockade the FMC continues to be the most profound part of Vilma Espin’s legacy. What she symbolizes provides a big energy source for the continual resilience of the Cuban people.

This heroine’s name continues to inspire freedom-loving people throughout the world, especially those following in her footsteps in defense of the Cuban homeland. Vilma Espin’s countless examples of valor and selflessness surely point to her noble character, but at the same time sheds light on the moral strength and legitimacy of the Cuban Revolution.

LONG LIVE THE CUBAN REVOLUTION!

The legacy of JAMES CONNOLLY represents Irish traditions, NOT Leprechauns & four-leaf clovers

________________________________________________________________________

“If you remove the English Army tomorrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle., unless you set about the organization of the Socialist Republic your efforts will be in vain. England will still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs.” ― James Connolly

________________________________________________________________________

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

On Saint Patrick’s Day I do not recognize the Leprechaun or four-leaf clover as symbols of the Irish people’s culture, as the mainstream and corporate world likes to project. What merits recognition and salute is Ireland’s centuries-long history of struggle against British colonialism.

We must honor Irish Republican revolutionaries, like the legendary James Connolly (June 5, 1868 – May 12, 1916), who sacrificed life and limb for the freedom of his people.

Connolly was born to immigrant parents from Ireland who settled in the mostly Irish community of Cowgate, Scotland. In his adult life, Connolly became a labor organizer, trade union leader, journalist, historian, soldier, and military tactician. In addition, he was a devoted husband and father of six children.

James Connolly lived adhering to Marxist doctrine. He attributed the plight of the Irish people to the exploitative nature of capitalist rulers. For many centuries, Ireland was brutally colonized by England, the forerunner of that global savage system.

James Connolly was widely known as a political thinker and leader of a national liberation movement. His exemplary deeds were referred to by revolutionaries throughout the Twentieth Century, like Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos, Vladamir Lenin, Marcus Garvey, Rosa Luxemburg, Fidel Castro Ruz, Ernesto Che Guevara, and so many others.

A portrait I made in honor of James Conolly. 24″ X 30″, acrylic paint on canvas.

While in the United States between 1905 to 1910, Connolly was a full-time organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World, also known as the Wobblies. It was there where he was impressed meeting and collaborating with two legendary women, working-class warriors, Mother Jones also from Ireland, and Lucy G. Parsons.

The Wobblies were a militant component of the worker’s movement in the United States that resorted to direct action and armed forceful tactics whenever necessary. They were concentrated in the coal mines and railroad. The Wobblies’ motto was “One Big Union.” They envisioned the creation of a single union comprising of workers throughout the globe.

No one can ever dispute that James Connolly played a significant role in the achievements of the U.S. working-class movement with his militant leadership and actions, fighting for the eight-hour day, the weekend and workers right to organize unions.

Connolly was one of the founders of the Irish Citizen Army (ICA), an armed force of well-trained patriots, and predecessor of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was also one of the leaders and combatants of the 1916 Easter Uprising in Dublin, a bloody event in Irish history that revealed to the world the criminality of England’s presence in Ireland.

It was in that battle where James Connolly was severely wounded. The British Army managed to apprehend the Irish leaders of the uprising and held them until it was decided what punitive action they would face. With no regard for Connolly’s physical condition of having been shot several times, the murderous British higher rank officers decided to have Connolly bound to a chair where he would be executed by firing squad. Many of Connolly’s comrades also captured met the same fate.

Photos above: Members of the Irish Citizen Army preparing for battle with British Army on Easter Rising.

Despite the military failure of the Easter Uprising, it was a tremendous political victory. This event triggered a chain of resistance in India, Africa, and wherever else British imperialism reigned. The Irish moment of fury also inspired revolutionary movements in Russia, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

In the United States, James Connolly and the Irish cause gained tremendous support from the Black community. At a massive public meeting in Harlem, New York City, on July 27, 1919, renowned Pan-Africanist leader Marcus Garvey defiantly expressed solidarity for the people of Ireland by praising the Irish Citizen Army (ICA) who courageously battled the British Army during the Easter Rising, in an attempt to free Ireland. Marcus Garvey was always an outspoken supporter of the Irish cause and condemned the brutality of British imperialism, a close U.S. ally.

In addition, Garvey’s UNIA’s gathering/meeting place in Harlem was renamed to “Liberty Hall” in honor of ICA and Sinn Fein, whose political headquarters in Dublin also had that name. Sinn Fein was the political entity of Ireland’s struggle for independence from British colonialism.

Liberty Hall in Dublin, Ireland. The banner reads: “WE SERVE NEITHER KING NOR KAISER, BUT IRELAND.”

James Connolly collaborated and became friends with the man who would become Puerto Rico’s iconic revolutionary figure, Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos. This relationship came about due to Campos’ solidarity work for the Irish struggle while a student at Harvard University in Boston from 1913 to 1916. In many ways, James Connolly and the Irish freedom struggle are an important part of Puerto Rican history.

This experience was one of the factors that influenced and introduced Pedro Albizu Campos to revolutionary politics. Campos’ heartfelt revolutionary sincerity resulted in a developed trust with Connolly. The future Puerto Rican Nationalist leader was eventually asked by Éamon de Valera to submit a written draft for what would become the Constitution of a free Irish Republic. This was an outstanding honor for the young Pedro Albizu Campos.

James Connolly will be remembered, not just as an Irish freedom fighter but also as an internationalist. His empathetic disposition for the suffering of the oppressed was consistent with being a Communist and having contempt for the capitalist system. His conception of a victorious struggle against British tyranny was part of his steeled belief that the Irish people will ultimately contribute to the final overthrow of imperialism.

LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTIONARY LEGACY OF JAMES CONNOLLY!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a fighter for Black emancipation during the struggle for Civil Rights

______________________________________________

“A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

______________________________________________

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was among a number of significant Black religious figures whose actions and leadership in the 1950s-1960s propelled the fury of the Civil Rights movement. The Southern Baptist Church for the most part served as a vehicle for expressing the wishes of Black people. But with the advent of the 1960s mass upsurge nothing was exempt from the political storm that created a potential for revolution in the United States, including the Black Church.

The momentum consumed most of society, as the outcry for Black emancipation gained support even outside the African American community. This phenomenon provided favorable conditions for the Black struggle to play an exemplary and leadership role in the intensifying political climate.

Other oppressed sectors of the population yearning for freedom as well began to follow suit. The Civil Rights movement which started as an expression for Black freedom was now a factor in a mass upsurge which had a profound impact on the spectrum of politics in this country.

Photos taken of Dr. King while in custody by Birmingham, Alabama police.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s empathy for the historic suffering of Black people, heightened his contempt for the legacy of slavery, racist Jim Crow laws. It instilled in his character a defiance and resilience that would inspire millions of people from all nationalities and races to take part in his quest.  

Figures like Evelina Antonetty and Gerena Valentin from the Puerto Rican community as well as Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, representing Mexican/Chicano migrant workers, aligned with Dr. King, thus adding to the strength of the Civil Rights movement.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, March 26, 1964, in Washington, DC.

Despite differences among Black leaders, the February 21, 1965, assassination of Malcolm X impacted Dr. King. There is indisputable evidence in his speeches that he was becoming radicalized, a reflection of the political militancy that was evolving among Black and Brown people in this country. Malcolm X’s assassination naturally brought to the open what was already being felt in the hearts and minds of millions of people, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., himself.

Contrary to assertions made by bourgeois historians, which depict MLK as nonaggressive and passive, he supported and boldly encouraged civil disobedience. He was also an outspoken critic of the U.S. political and economic system.

Civil Rights activists demonstrated dignity and were not afraid of white supremacist attacks.

Although MLK never identified himself as revolutionary, by traditional definition, objective circumstances compelled him to side with radical views. Towards the end of his life, Dr. King showed signs of gravitating towards an anti-capitalist analytical conclusion to the human suffering he witnessed.

During a speech he gave on August 16, 1967, at a Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. King boldly stated: “The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and evils of racism.”

And when Dr. King gave his April 4, 1967, speech at Riverside Church in Harlem, New York City, titled: “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence” the rulers of this country became infuriated. Considering the history of political reaction and racist hatred in the United States, it cannot be ruled out that delivering this speech sealed Dr. King’s death.

Washington officials were defensive due to the Vietnamese anti-colonial struggle gaining momentum while receiving massive support throughout the world, as the U.S. anti-war movement added to the pressure.

When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. articulated the relevance of Civil Rights with the fight to end the war in Vietnam U.S. officials experienced political embarrassment on a global scale. It was no coincidence or surprise that the notorious J. Edgar Hoover had ordered intensifying COINTELPRO activities against Dr. King to seek ways to ruin his reputation and discredit the politics of the movement.

My portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 20″ X 24″, acrylic paint on canvas.

Exactly a year after the Riverside Church speech, Dr. King was assassinated. He was shot while speaking to an audience from a hotel balcony in Menphis, Tennessee. The assailant was a white supremacist named James Earl Ray, who used a high-power rifle from a distance away to kill the renown Black leader.

African Americans reacted justifiably with indignation and rebelled on the streets of major cities throughout the country. The killing of Dr. King was reminiscent of the terror Black people experienced throughout the history of this country since chattel slavery.

Moments before Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was fatally shot by sniper.

There are many apologists in the mainstream who will distort the critical role Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. played in the Civil Rights movement. They will also present sanitized narratives that focus solely on his “peaceful, non-violent” tactics while avoiding mention of the vicious police terror unleashed on Dr. King and that entire movement.

What we today must always raise is the tenacious resistance Black and Brown people demonstrated then and will continue until freedom prevails, as Dr. King and the Civil Rights movement had envisioned.

LONG LIVE THE LEGACY OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott-King and their children.

Long Live the legacy of the January 1, 1804, HAITIAN REVOLUTION!

Long live the legacy of the Haitian Revolution

August 22, 1791 – January 1, 1804

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

The Haitian Revolution is among the most spectacular events in Western Hemispheric history. It was a revolt executed by enslaved Africans on the island of Española. This rebellious storm which began on August 21, 1791, and lasted to January 1, 1804, marked the beginning of the end for the vile system of chattel slavery in the Americas.

Bourgeois historians tend to automatically distort facts and formulate narratives that overshadow the Haitian Revolution by overly glorifying the French and so-called American “revolution”, two monumental events in capitalism’s development.

Moreover, these mainstream scholars will falsely assert that what sparked anti-colonial struggles in the Western Hemisphere was the “War for Independence” of 1776. However, a close examination of the history of race relations in the United States will contradict such claims.

An artist depiction of the Haitian Revolution’s fury.

For its own reasons of interest, England was leaning towards prohibiting the trans-Atlantic slave trade. It also disapproved its Thirteen settler colonies expanding further westward.

The British Empire was apprehensive of overextending itself in unfamiliar regions of the Americas. It feared becoming vulnerable to the organized resistance of Indigenous tribal people and competitive aggressiveness of its Spanish and French rivals.

It was England’s colonial policy and line of march in foreign affairs that placed its interest in direct conflict with that of the rising capitalist class in the Thirteen Colonies. The contradictions between English rulers and their “American” birth child became antagonistic and irreconcilable.

Expanding African slavery and pushing further west to engage in the theft of Indigenous lands was the sole motive for “Independence” from England. Whereas the Haitian Revolution was motivated by enslaved people desperately seeking an end to their plight.

Haiti was the most lucrative colony France possessed in its empire due to the untold horrors the Black population experienced under extreme circumstances of exploitation. The amount of wealth generated from commodity goods shipped to France, mainly sugar, coffee, cacao, cotton, and indigo, amazingly surpassed commodities exported to England from the Thirteen Colonies combined.

The Legendary Dutty Boukman

Dutty Boukman, a priest of African religions was captured by slave traders in the region known today as Senegal and Gambia. He was brought to Jamaica and then to Haiti. Boukman was boldly rebellious and frequently defied slavers by escaping. He acquired his name (Boukman for book man) because he always traveled with a Koran, which he used to teach fellow slaves how to read.

Artist’s depiction of Dutty Boukman.

According to many contemporary accounts, Boukman was selfless and a compassionate human being, but he was also known to be extremely ruthless with slave owners as well as Blacks who betrayed their own people.

Boukman was a respected and feared maroon leader, with a large following that frequently ambushed individual French officials. They attacked settlements and homes of wealthy elite figures to avenge what was done to Black people.

But on November 7, 1791, Boukman was killed while leading a slave uprising in the township of Le Cap-Francais. Today, Boukman is remembered as the Catalyst of the Haitian Revolution.

Women in the Haitian Revolution

The success of the Haitian Revolution would not have been possible without the participation of free and enslaved Black women, most of whom picked up arms willingly against the French. Their desire to serve as combatants and spies was in response to the degradation they experienced through beatings and rapes at the hands of their slave masters.

An artist’s depiction of triumphant Haitian women in battle.

A famous example is Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière, who served as a Lieutenant in Toussaint Louverture’s army. She courageously gave leadership to combatants that shocked French soldiers at the Battle of Crête-à-Pierrot. 

Artist’s depiction of Marie-Jeanne Lamartinière.

There were no limits to what these women did in the interest of the revolution. In many cases, these heroines weaponized sexuality to disorient and fool enemy troops in order to obtain intelligence vital to the operations of insurgents.

The heroic acts of these women highlight their commitment to a noble cause. Their sacrifices are usually downplayed or dismissed by the dominant male perspective of bourgeois historians.

Haitian Defeat of the French

Although most combatants were formerly enslaved Black men and women, the liberation army included free Blacks, Tainos, Mulatos, as well as Polacks and Germans, whites serving in the French Army who defected to the revolution. French tyranny was despised by various sectors of Haitian society.

After the revolutionary triumph, non-French Europeans who supported the abolitionist cause were allowed to remain in Haiti and granted citizenship. However, French citizens who upheld the slave system and refused to leave Haiti were immediately killed.

The savage treatment enslaved Black Haitians received from their French captors fully justify the rage and ruthlessness of this revolt.

Formerly enslaved Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who was second-in-command and one of Toussaint L’Ouverture’s generals, brilliantly led the revolutionary army at the decisive Battle of Vertieres on November 18, 1803, where the French Army suffered many casualties causing humiliation with defeat.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines (1758-1806)

The French were exhausted and demoralized by the prolongation of the conflict. They were shocked by the tenacity of Black people determined to win their freedom. After thirteen years of fighting, on January 1, 1804, the Haitian people jubilantly rejoiced when Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence from foreign domination.

Artist depiction of the Battle of Vertieres, November 18, 1803.

After the military struggle ceased, the newly formed Haitian government focused on seeking allies by establishing relations with revolutionary movements of neighboring countries. Haitian leaders understood quite well the necessity and benefits for oppressed people of different lands to forge unity, if they were to survive the onslaught of colonizing powers.

This was a feature of the Haitian perspective that impacted Puerto Rico’s iconic revolutionary leader, Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances. Following in the footsteps of his father, a Dominican businessman who supported the Haitian Revolution, Betances travelled to Haiti with his most trusted comrade, Jose A. Basora, to have collaborative discussions with Haitian leaders on the ideas of a trans-Caribbean federation.

My portrait of Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances. 24″ X 30, acrylic paint on canvas.

Many weapons seized from the defeated French Army were then given as gestures of solidarity to revolutionaries in Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Simón Bolivar’s liberation army in South America. Haiti also provided combatant volunteers to assist in some of these liberation struggles.

An artist oil depiction of the legendary revolutionary Simón Bolivar.

Haiti became a beacon of hope and inspiration for enslaved and colonized people throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, Africa, and the United States, similarly to how the Soviet Union was viewed with awe in the early part of the Twentieth Century.

Imperialism punishes Haiti for 1804

Soon after the victory, Haiti sought to normalize relations with France and the United States on equal terms through diplomacy, but to no avail. Instead, Toussaint L’Ouverture was brutally murdered while supposedly travelling to Paris on a French warship to make peace.

The U.S. refused to recognize Haiti’s independence until 1862. And due to pressure, Haiti was forced to cede to France’s demand for reparation – 150 francs for the “loss of property”, (meaning slaves) in exchange for recognizing the newly formed Haitian state.

The legendary Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint L’Ouverture.

Haitian leaders always struggled to retain political power under the pressure of mounting hostilities by countries eager to re-colonize Haiti.

Between 1915 to 1934, The United States militarily invaded and occupied Haiti. The excuse Washington officials used was to “restore order and stability” after the assassination of Haitian President Jean Vilbrun Guillaume Sam. A puppet government was then installed which agreed to have the U.S. take control of Haiti’s treasury.

The U.S. also invaded Haiti in 1993 under the guise of United Nations “Peacekeepers” and intervened again in 1994.

U.S. and French racist arrogance never respected the sovereignty of the first Black republic that dared to challenge white supremacy. This is why Haiti is punished to this day by being held in a continual colonial existence.

Despite how imperialism has suppressed the Haitian people in modern times, the revolutionary ferment of demonstrated by the Haitian people cannot be removed from hearts and minds. Tyrants and colonial oppressors of every kind continue to dread the Haitian people for the fury they unleashed that triggered the downfall of African chattel slavery.

It is for this reason why the Revolution of 1804 shall forever inspire and have a special place in the archives of the class struggle, alongside the 1917 Russian Socialist Revolution, Mexican Agrarian Revolution, 1949 Chinese Revolution, Cuban Revolution, Vietnamese Revolution, Congolese Revolution, Angolan Revolution, South Africa, and others yet to come.

LONG LIVE THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION!

Tribute to LEON TROTSKY Centurion of the October 1917 Russian Socialist Revolution

Para la versión en español: https://carlitoboricua.blog/2024/10/23/homenaje-a-leon-trotsky-centurion-de-la-revolucion-socialista-rusa-de-1917/

____________________________________________

“The United States is not only the strongest, but also the most terrified country.” ― Leon Trotsky

____________________________________________

By Carlos “Carlito” Rovira

Leon Trotsky was born as Lev Davidovich Bronstein to a wealthy Ukrainian Jewish family on November 7, 1879, in Yanovka, Ukraine during the Russian Empire. However, after becoming drawn to Marxism as a teenager, he purposely repudiated his social class privilege and rejected the Jewish identity as an unapologetic atheist. Trotsky grew to become a prominent figure in one of the most momentous events of the Twentieth Century, the 1917 Russian Socialist Revolution.

In February 1917, Czar Nicholas II was forced to abdicate his throne due to extreme political unrest in Russia. Trotsky returned to Russia with thousands of his followers eager to join the Bolsheviks. The country was undergoing a promising revolutionary crisis.

As chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, Trotsky played a key role in the storming of the Winter Palace in which the Kerensky Government was overthrown. Trotsky had then become one of Vladimir Lenin‘s most trusted comrades.

Artist depiction of Bolshevik insurgents storming the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, October 1917.

Between 1918 to 1925, Trotsky served as Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, the equivalent title of a defense minister. He was also founder of the Soviet Red Army.

Under Trotsky’s leadership, the Red Army defeated attempts by counterrevolutionaries to restore the old semi-Feudal capitalist order. He also played a decisive role expelling from 5,600 miles of Russian territory, 14 invading imperialist armies. This included invading military forces from the United States.

Trotsky speaking to Red Army troops before a battle.
The Red Army in pursuit of counterrevolutionary forces during the Civil War in Russia.

Being well-versed in the politics of the United States, Trotsky was quite outspoken against the racist policies of its government officials – especially on the subject of the Klu Klux Klan (KKK), the historic expression of white supremacy which originated from among defeated Confederate Army officers and soldiers after the U.S. Civil War.

Trotsky’s outspoken and unforgiving stance with white supremacy came at the height of lynching of Black people in the U.S. southern states. He adamantly encouraged U.S. Communists to inflict the same terror on the KKK. Trosky stated: “Let us raise the slogan so that these capitalists will hear it plainly: LYNCH THE LYNCHERS OF THE NEGROES AND THE POOR TOILERS!”

Banksy’s Hanging Klansman. A vision Leon Trotsky likely had when speaking about the KKK.

Trotsky had profound respect for the spiritual power of culture. His Collected Writings on Literature & Art, expressed the importance he gave to this subject for winning over the hearts and minds of millions of working-class people.

Unlike Joseph Stalin’s official restrictions on artistic license, Trosky was enthusiastically in favor of artistic freedom development in all forms. This view was also expressed at a public meeting on May 2, 1956, by China’s Mao Zedong: “Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.

Leon Trotsky standing by the Kremlin.

Trotsky’s views on culture and art reflected his general disposition on the power of worker’s rights and power which aimed to encourage dialog and debate. Trotsky wanted to use culture as a tool for strengthening the intellectual potential of all citizens- especially the farmers and working class in a county where illiteracy was widespread.

Moreover, Trotsky envisioned creating a system of checks and balances where the average worker had a voice in the workplace and government. Elected “Commissars” as defined by the principles of Workers & Soldiers Soviets, would have subjected government and military officials to immediate recall if necessary.

Leon Trotsky with fellow combatants of the Red Army.

Trotsky’s logic was to compel officials to practice good leadership by earning the respect and loyalty of their subordinates. However, the role of Commissars fluctuated as the ferment of the revolution gradually waned. Ultimately, these elected posts were eliminated by decree, becoming a key area of contention between Stalin and Trotsky.

THE STALIN – TROTSKY SPLIT

As the Soviet Union moved forward to consolidate its political power, especially after the death of Vladamir Lenin on January 21, 1924, contradictions sharpened between two opposing currents within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).

The differences became crystalized and were spearheaded by Joseph Stalin on the one hand and Leon Trotsky on the other. Stalin represented a fierce movement to concentrate power in the government bureaucracy, whereas Trotsky advocated for empowering the Soviets (committees) of workers.

My portrait of Leon Trotsky. 20″ X 24″, acrylic paint on canvas.

As Lenin’s health began to rapidly decline due to a debilitating stroke, he dictated a letter to his trusted aide stating his last wishes that Joseph Stalin not become his successor as leader of the Soviet Union. This historical document became known as Lenin’s Last Testament. However, Stalin manipulated everyone opposed to him by appointing his close allies to key government positions to thwart objections. This event outraged many Bolsheviks who expected Trotsky to be next in line as head of state.

In the years after Lenin died, the majority of the CPSU’s rank and file was gradually steered to partake in a deliberate campaign against Trotsky. He was horribly vilified and removed from his duties as Commissar of the Military, the Politburo, as well as purged from the Communist Party altogether. Eventually, Trotsky was exiled out of the Soviet Union.

As always, dynamics exist everywhere in nature and politics. Tragically, the differences within CPSU were unable to be resolved, resulting in increased antagonism which led to the assassination of Trotsky in Mexico on August 21, 1940, by a NKVD secret agent Jaime Ramón del Rio. In addition, Trotsky’s loyal followers were suffering persecution inside the still developing USSR.

Until the last moments of his life, Trotsky maintained a revolutionary posture by urging his followers to continue defending the Soviet Union. Although Trotsky was scornfully opposed to Stalinism, he understood that it was a phenomenon that did not originate from the capitalist camp but from socialism.

From left to right: Joseph Stalin, Vladamir Lenin, and Leon Trotsky before their political fallout.

Internal turmoil is often the initial spark that ignites the implosion of any revolutionary movement. One can easily point to a similar historical occurrence, when in June 1971 internal conflicts caused the disastrous demise of the Black Panther Party (BPP).

The scenario of domestic dispute and violence applies in both absurd situations. Brothers & sisters turned against brothers & sisters to the highest level of hostilities.

It is impossible to overlook how the BPP split was a set-back for the U.S. movement. And it doesn’t take much to conclude how the BPP split was largely orchestrated by the FBI’s COINTELPRO. Conversely, we cannot dismiss the possible role by foreign intelligence in the Stalin-Trotsky conflict.

However, Leon Trotsky repeatedly warned the international revolutionary movement about the detriments of Stalinism, most notably his predictions of the USSR’s shift to the right and its eventual collapse, which occurred in 1991. Trotsky’s detailed critiques of Stalinism were outlined in his classic polemic titled A Revolution Betrayed.

The collapse of the Soviet Union provided the international gang of capitalist tyrants and exploiters an opportunity to advance their anti-Communist smears. It also caused many difficulties for revolutionaries throughout the world, as well as republics resisting imperialism like Cuba.

There are many lessons to be drawn by future generations of the 1917 Russian Revolution. Specifically, Leon Trotsky’s contributions to the establishment of the very first socialist state, and his comradeship with Vladamir Lenin.

Vladamir Lenin and Leon Trotsky together after the Bolshevic seizer of power.

It will require serious inquiry about this history to counter the baseless anti-Communist slanders directed against the legacy of Leon Trotsky, which originated from Stalinism.

Hopefully, the next major Socialist revolution, wherever it may be, shall avoid a repeat of past mistakes and correctly grapple with socialism’s inherited contradictions. That will surely guarantee a decisive victory for the emancipation of oppressed and exploited people.

LONG LIVE THE REVOLUTIONARY LEGACY OF LEON TROTSKY!