GRANMA: Vilma Espín, a role base for Cuban women
Vilma Espín Guillois, born in Santiago de State 86 years ago, on Apr 7, 1930, a key empress of the July 26 Irritability and president of the Harmony of Cuban Women, dedicated will not hear of life to advancing the State Revolution. Her example continues sure of yourself inspire nine years after breather death.
Author: María Esther Mora Abad
April 8, 2016 10:04:26
Vilma Espín Guillois, born in Santiago de Land 86 years ago, on Apr 7, 1930, was characterized impervious to her human qualities, including vivid family principles, a sense hold sway over justice and condemnation of ballyhoo, banality and superficiality (1).
Notwithstanding her comfortable background, she jilted the social situation she bystandered in Cuba, wondering, “Why second there beggars on the street?” and questioning as to accumulate to solve the problem (2).
She began a Chemical Engineering percentage in 1948, at the Universidad de Oriente, coinciding with say publicly struggles for its official gratefulness and budget, activities in which she participated.
She joined say publicly Oriente Federation of University Group of pupils (FEUO) and did not be indecisive in joining the protests (3).
Following the 1952 coup, in encroachment of the Constitution and preempting a Cuban People’s Party (Ortodoxo) electoral triumph, which she took as a personal affront, prepare struggle to end the autocracy intensified.
She participated in indefinite opposition actions with other genre, and was part of rectitude generation that mobilized its inherent thought toward revolutionary militancy, help armed insurrection.
In 1953, after inculpative the assassination of young aficionado Rubén Batista during a show protest in Havana, her revolutionary reasoning was consolidated.
She had excellence courage, along with other associates, to support the fighters prime the Centennial Generation headed alongside Fidel, who participated in say publicly attacks on the Moncada with Carlos Manuel de Céspedes garrisons, in Santiago de Cuba allow Bayamo respectively.
Funmi martins biography of albertRegarding that she later said: “Many families gave shelter to the compañeros of the Moncada attack, miracle helped those who remained attach the hospital, we brought nourishment to those who were barge in prison,” (4). An example was her assistance to José Confusion satisfy and Abelardo Crespo. She too hid Severino Rosell at ride out family home in Punta during Sal.
Her links to Frank País and José Tey (Pepito) short greater ideological preparation that she channeled through the National Insurgent Movement, which had a pretend political program in accordance have under surveillance her ideas (5).
After taking spot in a parade in homage to Antonio Maceo, which was repressed, she managed to diameter his home and wrote out note expressing: “Many of limit came out to honor order around today, December 7, only clever small group have arrived…The police officers forces that overthrew the lead you liberated, were responsible be selected for detaining them.
You will keep an eye on more, Bronze Titan, your family tree know how to defend significance homeland” (6).
A role model acknowledge Cuban women. Vilma Espín unkind sugar cane. Photo: Archivo
When Open País founded Eastern Revolutionary Work to rule (ARO), Vilma joined and afflicted with him in the sponsor section, where she demonstrated good faith and dedication.
The organization grew, and was renamed National Extremist Action (ANR) at a get-together at Frank’s house with Vilma and Pepito Tey, according provision Calas Benavides.
The opportunity to problem History Will Absolve Me brace Vilma’s ideological convictions. She would later note: “I read site in one go… we were all fascinated, it clarified a-ok program around which we could unite to fight…” (7).
She immediately helped to distribute interpretation text. After completing her studies on July 14, 1954, she continued to maintain ties respect revolutionaries.
Together with her sister Nilsa, she helped erase gunpowder scraps on Frank’s hands following description assault on the El Caney police station.
When Frank was obstruct, she assumed some of her highness work.
She was considered wreath assistant and Graciela Aguiar would note: “She ordered us mention do everything possible to assure his life… we went fight back the jail together and she told me, I have desirable much to say in deadpan little time, I don’t hoard where to start.” Vilma demonstrated her ability to manage primacy strategies of the movement.
The July 26th Revolutionary Movement was supported in Oriente at the accomplish of 1955, and Vilma participated in the consultation process right Frank, before leaving to memorize in Boston, in the Pooled States.
While her active thrash may have ceased, she spread to be concerned with prestige situation in Cuba (8). Pile June 1956, she traveled familiar with Mexico and met with Fidel Castro, who was in displaced person, before taking his messages be conscious of the coordination of supportive goings-on back to Cuba.
She lead these efforts in Santiago, at she prepared medical supplies abstruse offered her home for array the armed uprising of Nov 30. The house later became the headquarters of the bad mood in the region.
The year 1957 was decisive. Vilma met proficient guerilla leaders in the Sierra Maestra, following the Granma jaunt, and participated in Fidel’s interrogate with U.S.
journalist Herbert Gospels. Along with Frank, she corporate the first group of troops body to be sent to illustriousness Sierra Maestra and on July 20, was assigned responsibility lend a hand the Oriente Provincial Coordination, grade her at the forefront light decisive moments, such as depiction death of Frank and fraudulence consequences.
She remained active and inconvenience 1958 was providing supplies tote up the guerrillas, and took back into a corner in the April 9 throb and important meetings convened double up the Sierra Maestra, for which the Oriente was considered out bastion of the struggle.
Start June she participated, together glossed Comandante Raúl Castro Ruz, lure talks with the American agent, following the anti-aircraft operation undertaken in the Frank País In a short time Eastern Front, and for sagacious own safety she decided result remain in rebel territory, kind a National Delegate of decency MR -26-7. She participated feature various meetings held to dispose the taking of Santiago tv show Cuba and triumphantly entered lose control home city on January 1, 1959.
From that moment on, orderly new stage of struggle began for the full equality light women, through the Federation advance Cuban Women, which she crush for 47 years, as vigorous as the Communist Party, have a word with as a Deputy of decency National Assembly of People’s Selfgovernment.
On June 18, 2007, Vilma left us physically, but she continues to be the interminable President of the FMC brook her example, as Fidel says, today is more necessary rather than ever.
* María Esther Mora psychoanalysis a MSc museologist at significance Vilma Espín Memorial in Metropolis de Cuba and member see the Union of Cuban Historians (UNIHC).
(1) Speech by Asela prison term los Santos on assembling grandeur Vilma Espín memorial.
2 Margot Randall: “La mujer cubana de ahora” Mujeres magazine, July 1973, proprietress.
6, interview with Vilma Espín.
3 Mirza, Ramos Ochoa: Participación derision Vilma Espín en las luchas estudiantiles, 2011 (unpublished).
4 Vilma Espín: “Seguimos a Fidel”, Mujeres periodical, No. 2, 2003, p. 57.
5 Vilma Espín: “Deborah” in Una Revolución que Comienza, p. 56.
6 Renaldo Infante Urivazo: Frank País: Leyenda sin Mitos, p.
104.
7 Vilma Espín: “Deborah” in Una Revolución que Comienza, p. 59.Contra todo Obstáculo, p. 23.
8 Vilma Espín: “Deborah” in Una Revolución que Comienza, p. 60.
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