Like every year in Cuba Since 1959, between January 2 and 8, young people and children have commemorated the Caravan of Freedom, also called the Caravan of Victory, imitating the triumphant journey made by Fidel Castro after the victory of the cuban revolution. This Monday was the 64th anniversary, and as is tradition, a jeep convertible and five trucks make the road of more than a thousand kilometers from Santiago de Cuba to Havana.
The country of the Antilles, which is located in the middle of a massive exodus due to exorbitant inflationevokes this event again, loaded with patriotic symbolism, in an attempt to patent the phrase “we are continuity”.
At dawn on the second day of the year, the people of Santiago met with former combatants and authorities, in the same place from which Castro’s convoy left. They were present Jose Ramon MonteagudoFirst Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) in the province, and beatrice johnsonGovernor of Santiago de Cuba.
The Caravan advanced along the Central Highway, following the same route as the original, and making stops in the community of Río Frío; in the Martí park, in Palma Soriano and in the town of Baire, where, as is also the tradition, they had a snack on juice and empanadas. In the municipality of Jiguaní, in the province of Granma, the people of Santiago were relieved in his journey through other young people belonging to the party.
During the act, they handed out the Union of Young Communists (UJC) card to ten young people, and the PCC card to a group of workers. In addition, a former combatant of the Rebel Army, Jose Solarparticipated in the day giving a talk and recalling that day 64 years before, in which he had been present, and encouraging youth to carry on the revolutionary work “despite the intensification of neoliberal policies towards the country,” he said.
The provincial secretary of the UJC in the province also intervened, Lisbeth Ramirez, who celebrated the fact that this event was commemorated for another year, demonstrating the commitment of the youth of Santiago to history. He stressed that young people are waging a ideological battle on social mediaand they fight every day to contribute to the economic and social development of Cuba.
