Vilma Espín, unforgettable revolutionary woman
The history of Cuba cannot be told without mentioning the role of women. Vilma Espín is an immortal example. We honor her today, 12 years after her physical disappearance, remembering her simplicity, her unconditional dedication to the struggle for freedom of her homeland, and against the social injustices suffered by the Cuban nation.
She was born in Santiago de Cuba, and although he was a university student, she joined the revolutionary struggles and protested against the coup d’état perpetrated by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952.
On November 30, 1956, Vilma participated in the uprising of Santiago de Cuba, which would support the landing of the Granma Yacht, which brought Fidel and other expeditionaries from Mexico, to continue the struggle for the nation’s freedom. Vilma’s house was the headquarters of the operations of the uprising.
Because of her active participation in the underground, at the head of the 26th of July Movement, after Frank’s death, she is constantly persecuted, and because of the danger she was already facing, she joins the Second Eastern Front, commanded by Raúl Castro.
When the Cuban Revolution triumphed in January 1959, Vilma was appointed by Fidel Castro responsible for the nation’s feminine forces, and so the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) came into being on August 23, 1960, which she presided over until her death in 2007.
The tireless fighter became a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), as well as a Deputy and member of the Council of State. She chaired the National Commission for Prevention and Social Care, and the Permanent Commission for Attention to Youth, Children, and Equality of Women’s Rights.
She received high decorations, titles and national and international orders. She was awarded with the honorary title of Heroine of the Republic of Cuba, the Medal of Underground Struggle, the Medal of the War of Liberation, and the Lenin Peace Prize, among many others.
There are plenty of reasons to pay the greatest tribute to a woman who selflessly gave all her energies to the social benefit of her people, specifically to the emancipation of women.
Written by Jorge Lora
