Cuba: The conviction to defend a just cause

On the occasion of CLACSO's presence in Havana for the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, Executive Secretary Karina Batthyány participated in the presentation of the book "Man of Silence" by Ramón Labañino Salazar, one of the five Heroes who spent 16 years in American prisons.

For CLACSO TV, Ramón Labañino Salazar recalled the long years of confinement, which he portrays in his book "Man of Silence", and the moment when he was told that he was regaining his freedom. “When the moment arrives, you don’t believe it, you go into a state of denial… The greatest emotion is when we land in Cuba.” Labañino highlighted the figure of Fidel Castro at the end: “Here we are, commander” The five of them told him upon setting foot on Cuban soil again.

The event took place at the headquarters of the National Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba (ANEC) where its First Vice President, Carlos Prego Regalado, referred to a recurring theme in these six decades of revolution: the United States blockade of the Caribbean island. “Trump just approved a new package of measures thinking that with it he will intimidate and weaken us. On the contrary, in this situation the people's position regarding the revolution has been reaffirmed… In difficult times, the Cuban people grow stronger.”

Interviewed by Gustavo Lema