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New Years Eve Party
52 Years of the Cuban Revolution!
At 2am on January 1st, 1959, US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista and his associates hurried onto a small plane and fled Cuba once and for all. They had realized their defeat by the revolutionary Rebel Army led by Fidel Castro was imminent, and this became the first New Year’s Eve where the masses of Cuban people were able to celebrate the triumph of the Cuban Revolution. On this January 1st 1959 the heroic Cuban people eradicated US Yankee domination and opened the path for the great Cuban socialist project. 52 years later, Cubans alongside people around the world celebrate the date and the incredible achievements of the Cuban Socialist Revolution that has inspired millions of people around the world to struggle for a better world, as well as looking forward to another year of great effort for peace, equality and social justice.
This celebration has now become an annual event in Vancouver. This year marked the 6th consecutive year Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) has organized a New Years’ Eve celebration to mark the Anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. Always an exciting, dynamic, and diverse event, this year was no different. As the evening MC and VCSC Coordinator Tamara Hansen said in her opening remarks, “There is also more to celebrate, as this year Cuba will mark the 50 year anniversary of the end of illiteracy in Cuba, and also of their important and decisive victory against an attempted invasion by U.S. backed mercenaries at the Bay of Pigs.”
Over 200 people once again came to the celebration and were greeted by the inspiring Cuban-made film “Desafio” (“Challenge”) which chronicles Cuba’s fight back to overcome the challenges and harshness imposed on the Cuban people and government by the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990’s.
Colleen Glynn, VCSC Executive Committee member and chair of the Richmond New Democratic Party, introduced the evening and VCSC’s ongoing Cuba solidarity work in Vancouver and Canada before inviting up Co-op Radio host and local ‘travador’ Joaquin Ernesto to perform his unique blend of songs of struggle from Latin-America and other classics.
The next segment of the event program was special tribute to the Cuban 5 Heroes; Gerardo Hernández, Ramón Labañino, Antonio Guerrero, Fernando González and René González. This will mark their 12th New Year’s Eve behind prison walls for Cuban Five Heroes held in U.S. jails. However, the international campaign for their immediate release grew again this year and Noah Fine, coordinator of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee – Vancouver, outlined the case of these five anti-terrorist fighters and the committee’s ongoing participation in the campaign for their freedom. Local poets Luis Velasquez, Max Tennant, and Payvand Pejvack also took to the stage to read poems they had written dedicated to the Cuban Five Heroes.
The celebration received video greetings from Alison Bodine and Manolo de Los Santos from IFCO/Pastors for Peace in New York City. VCSC organizer and frequent Caravan participant Thomas Davies also outlined the history and importance of the Caravan to Cuba, as well as commemorated the life of Pastors for Peace founder and leader the Reverend Lucius Walker Jr., who passed away this year after an inspiring lifelong struggle for peace and social justice.
Attendees also received a very special greetings from Her Excellency Mrs. Teresita de Jesús Vicente Sotolongo, Cuban Ambassador to Canada. In her greeting Teresita emphasized,
“Cuba will maintain our solidarity with other nations and peoples… While imperialists make wars and destroy the environment, we, together, are able to help humanity to build a better world. We count on your support and wish you all a very successful 2011. We thank again for your brave and invaluable support.”
VCSC Coordinator and Executive Committee member Tamara Hansen concluded this portion of the evening by giving a summary of the necessity of international solidarity with the Cuban people and of the importance example of the Cuban Revolution for people around the world.
With that, the tables and chairs were cleared and people took to the dance floor as local favorite Dj Su Commandante spun his unique blend of Latin and international beats with some new crowd favorites. The dance floor did not empty until 2am, and also not until after an exuberant countdown at 12 o’clock which included historical video footage from the triumph of the Cuban Revolution, and also a raffle where lucky participants won art, rum, and t-shirts all direct from Cuba.
2011 will be another year in the fight for the better world we all know is possible, and Cuba will once again be leading the way forward. Don’t miss your chance to participate in many more events organized by Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC) on our way to celebrating the 53rd anniversary of the Cuban Revolution!
VIVA FIDEL!
VIVA RAUL!
VIVA LA REVOLUCION CUBANA!
A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE!