What is a cederista and what does he/she do, in Cuba?
A cederista is a member of the largest mass organization that exists in Cuba, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), founded by Fidel Castro on September 28, 1960, with the objective of guarding neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block and prevent the continuation of sabotage and attacks against the Cuban people by gangs financed from the United States.
All over Cuba there are cederistas, who take care not only of avoiding vandalism against the properties of the people, but also of promoting blood donations, the collection of raw materials and delivering them in the points destined for this task.
The cederistas carry out cleaning and beautification work in their neighborhood, and support health campaigns such as the fight against the aedes aegypti mosquito, a transmitter of diseases such as dengue, sika, chinkunyuya, among others.
During the year, the cederistas hold monthly meetings to organize their activities both the previous ones as well as holidays. They celebrate each outstanding date of Cuba’s anniversaries: July 26, January 1, September 28, and they have, in December, the end of the year party.
In the electoral processes, the cederistas are side by side the electoral commissions to ensure the updating of the register of voters, to call the assistance to the polls, ensure transparency and discipline during the voting.
Neighborhood by neighborhood, the members of the CDR study different materials and documents that contribute to the systematic updating of the national and international situation.
Recently, in each CDR of the island the draft Constitution was analyzed, the cederista proposed additions and modifications, which provoked the re-elaboration of those articles involved.
The cederistas guarantee with their presence and call to all the neighbors, the participation in the assemblies of accountability of the delegate to his electors.
The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution today have 7 600 00* members, in a population of little more than 11 million inhabitants. From the age of 12, every Cuban has the right to belong to such an honorable organization, for which the principle of voluntariness prevails. Not all Cubans living on the island are cederistas.
* http://www.radiorebelde.cu/50-revolucion/historia/organizaciones-masas.html
Written by Radio Grito de Baire
