June 14, 2017 marked what would have been
the 89th birthday of revolutionary leader Che
Guevara. This heroic figure was a commander
in the Cuban rebel army, as well as a visionary
thinker that has inspired people around the
world. After the triumph of the Cuban Revolution,
Che still felt the need to continue fighting
for revolutionary change world-wide and joined
guerrilla fighters in Bolivia, where he was killed
by the CIA on October 9, 1967.
Around the world when people think about the
Cuban Revolution, the first two faces that come
to mind are that of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro.
Fidel, the leader of the Cuban Revolution
and Cuba’s former president, passed away just
last year on November 25, 2016, at the age of
90. The world lost Fidel in his physical form, but
his ideas and vision live on in Cuba and beyond
in the fight for a better and more just world.
On June 10, 2017, Vancouver Communities
in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) organized an
event titled “Cuba in Perspective – Fidel and
Cuban Guests in Vancouver Discuss...
Cuba in Perspective – Fidel and Che: An Everlasting Friendship
Che: An Everlasting Friendship” to reflect on
these two revolutionary heroes, and to celebrate
the birthday of Che Guevara. The event was
sponsored by Friends of Cuba Against the U.S.
Blockade, Communist League, Communist
Party Canada (Marxist-Leninist) and Fire This
Time Movement for Social Justice (FTT).
Vancouverites had the special opportunity of
hearing from two guests from the Cuban Institute
of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP),
an institute which works to promote friendship
and solidarity between Cuba and the international
community. Sandra Ramirez Rodriguez,
director of the North American desk of ICAP
and Yamil Martinez Marrero, representative of
the Canada desk of ICAP were welcomed to
Vancouver by many people who were eager to
hear them speak, and the event had a full house
at the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House.
The evening started out with words from Tamara
Hansen, coordinator of Vancouver Communities
in Solidarity with Cuba. Kelly White,
an Indigenous activist and elder, together with
the participation of the entire event, led a song
to open the evening and welcome the Cuban
guests. The program continued with video clips
highlighting Che Guevara’s life and legacy, as
well as videos showing the outpouring of emotion
and love from the Cuban people following
Fidel’s passing. The audience then heard the
poetry of Alejandro Mujica Olea, a Chilean
poet and host of World Poetry Café on Coop
Radio, as well as from local poets Max Tennant
and Shakeel Lochan. The audience then was
treated to the songs of Maria Luisa Melendez,
a Salvadorian musician and representative of
the FMLN Vancouver.
After this beautiful cultural program, Sandra
Ramirez and Yamil Martinez were invited up
to speak. Sandra spoke about the legacy of
Fidel and Che with both factual information
and her own touching personal stories of interactions
with Fidel. Yamil spoke about the
struggle against the US blockade and the strain
this criminal policy puts on Cuba, but also how
no matter what the new US President Trump’s
policy is, Cuba will keep true to its revolutionary
principles. The Cuban guests answered
questions from the audience, including one on
the upcoming 2018 elections in Cuba which
prompted a very educational response from
Yamil on the very democratic and inclusive
process of voting in Cuba!
The evening wrapped up with a birthday cake to
celebrate Che Guevara, and attendees gathered
around to sing happy birthday and blow out
the birthday candles together (and enjoy the
cake of course!). The Cuban guests returned
home to Cuba knowing that here in Vancouver,
people are coming together with the desire to
learn more about Cuba and are inspired by the
huge gains of the Cuban Revolution. For more
info on upcoming events on Cuba visit www.
vancubasolidarity.com, find Vancouver Communities
in Solidarity with Cuba on Facebook
or follow on Twitter @VCSC_Van
Back to Article Listing
