October 10th, a Great Date for Cuba

During the whole year 1968, DIARIO LAS AMERICAS published a box with a reminder of the glorious centennial of the Cry of Yara that began the war known as the Ten Year War in the Cuban people’s quest for independence. This newspaper did it because in Cuba there was no independent press to exalt the values of freedom that include, of course, the remembrances of the emancipating movement.

Since 1959, the glorious anniversaries in the history of Cuba have to be celebrated, fundamentally, abroad where the Cuban exile is, where the Cubans who uphold their lofty historic values live. Inside Cuba only the infamous 26th of July is celebrated, remembering that revolutionary attempt of 1953, that gave its name to the Fidel Castro “Movement”, which climaxed on January 1st, 1959, with the installation of what at first many believed was a regime of freedom. From 1959 to this date, that is for practically half-a-century, in Cuba is celebrated only what the prevailing tyranny wishes to celebrate.

It is fitting that the new generations of Cubans who have come up in this half-a-century have the opportunity to fully understand the meaning of all the supreme values of their nationality and the efforts and battles for its freedom, not only with respect to its independence, but also in terms of breaking the stranglehold of the tyranny.

The history of Cuba has been adulterated in the island for the new generations and, in a way, the influence of that adulteration might reach those who living outside their homeland do no have a permanent opportunity to study their national history. However, merit should be given to the first generations of Cubans in exile that have endeavored to propagate their history, their heroes and their ideological thinkers in terms of freedom. This persevering effort is why, for example, anniversaries such as that of the Cry of Yara of October 10th, 1868, be known and respected in an immense number of Cuban homes in different cities and countries around the world.

DIARIO LAS AMERICAS reiterates its admiration for the Cuban heroes and remembers what this event in 1868 meant when Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, together with other illustrious men, began the war that lasted ten years. This war did not achieve the desired goal, but it laid the foundation for the one that, led by José Martí, began in 1895, which determined the final victory with the independence.