The Violent Historical Hammer

Historical dates serve as re-enforcers of group integration or what Lasswell call intra-group propaganda of unity. These dates, celebrated as national events and holidays are January 1^st, triumph of the Revolution.  26^th of July of 1953, assault to the Moncada barracks.  January 28^th, birth of Jose Marti. December 10^th, national Independence Day.  March 8^th, International Women Day. March 13^th, assault to Batista’s presidential palace. From April 18^th to April 20^th the Bay of Pigs invasion or Playa Giron. Other historical events commemorated by Cuban students, workers and population in general are: Execution and death of eight students of medicine by Spanish troops on November 27 of 1871. The death of alphabetizers Conrado Benitez and  Alberto Domenech during the national alphabetization campaign in 1961. Death of Camilo Cienfuegos on October 28, 1959. Death of Che Guevara on October 9 of 1967 and posterior un-burial of his bones on July of 1997.

Other celebrated historical dates are, arrival of Yate Granma and the expeditionaries on December 2^nd of 1956. The combat at Alegria de Pio on December 5^th of the same year. The Sierra Maestra campaign. The battle of Santa Clara on December of 1958. The events of Lucha Contra Bandidos against the disaffected rebels in the Escambray mountains during the 1960’s, in the middle part of the island. The Crisis de Octubre, known as the Missile Crisis and other historical events of which the revolution is never short.

Events of the colonial period that are taught in history classes across the school system are: The death of native Indians Hatuey and Guama by the Spanish colonizers in the 16^th C. The rebellion of Pepe Antonio, led against the British army during the occupation of Havana by the British. Conspiracy of Rayos y Soles de Bolivar. Founding father Carlos Manuel de Cespedes freeing and leading his slaves in the struggle against Spain on December 10^th of 1868. Jose Marti as a young adolescent in prison; his literary works Simple Verses and the Golden Age. The Baragua protest; led by independence hero Antonio Maceo against the Spaniard troops, led by general Martinez Campos, on March 15, 1878. Mayor Ignacio Agramonte and the rescue of Brigadier Manuel Sanguily on October 8^th of 1871, regarded as an “insuperable act of heroism” by Fidel Castro. Death of El Mayor Ignacio Agramonte on May 11^th, 1873, during the battle of Jimaguayu. 24^th of February of 1895, Grito de Yara marking the relaunch of the independence war against Spain. Death of General Antonio Maceo, El Titan de Bronce, occurred on December 7 of 1896. The assault to the Trocha Jucaro a Moron, on November 28^th of 1895.

During the neo-colonial period, death of Julio Antonio Mella, on January 10^th of 1929.  Paquito Gonzalez Cueto, a 13 years old child who is the symbolic leader of Cuban pioneros, killed on September 29^th of 1933, during the funeral of Julio Antonio Mella. Death of Ruben Martinez Villena on January 16, 1934. The protest of the 13, occurred March 19^th of 1923 against the corruption of the government led by president Alfredo Zayas from 1921-25. Death of Antonio Guiteras on May 8^th of 1935. Niceto Perez, leader of the farmers is killed on May 17^th of 1946. Death of sugar cane union leader Jesus Menendez, on January 22th, 1948. Death of Aracelio Iglesias, Havana port union leader, occurred on October 17^th of 1948. Death of Frank Pais on July 30^th of 1957. Abel Santamaria death, on July 26^th of 1953. Bloody Christmas, from December 23^rd to December 26^th of 1956, when 23 people were killed. Cubans seem to solve all their disputes by way of the gun and I'm myself bewildered by the history of violence of which my country is made of, but that would be material for another article. I can keep adding names and events but I think what I have cited is enough to argue that dictatorship didn't come randomly to Cuba and that was rather a product and a response to this chaotic impulse driven culture and society.