|
|
|
 |
Sept. 11 - Sept. 18, 2011 |
The struggle that changed an island nation
Museum of the Revolution offers glimpse of Cuba — then and now
By Francesco Veronesi
Originally Published: 2010-04-25
Fifty-six years of conquests and defeats, of forward-looking changes and backward steps, of objectives achieved and promises unfulfilled - the Cuban revolution, in its evolution and thousands of contradictions, continues to elicit great fascination. It is a journey that has lasted for over half a century, encompassing the cold-war era to beyond the collapse of the Soviet Union. Overcoming the ’90s crisis despite the difficulty created by the American embargo, the Castro revolution continues to be the basis of life for every single Cuban.
Today, there is a potential for change in the relationship with Barack Obama’s U.S. With the advent of the former Illinois senator’s entry to the White House, the unilateral approach of the Bush era has been put on the backburner, replaced by gentler and more conciliatory diplomatic guidelines.
In the heart of Havana, not far from the Capitolio – the previous Cuban parliament that was overthrown with the rise to power of Castro – is the Museo de la Revolucion. This houses invaluable archaeological finds: treaties, official documents, era photos, as well as arms used by the rebels, uniforms used by the revolutionary troops, clothing, and scraps of newspapers.
The exhibit, spread over three floors, follows in chronological order, the progress of the Cuban revolution, beginning with the attack on Moncada military base on July 26, 1953 – a blitz that failed miserably, resulting in the massacre of the insurrectionists and the capture of Castro – to the developments of recent years. Visitors, catapulted into the era’s mood, relive step by step the Castro insurrection epic against dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Ample space – and it couldn’t be otherwise – is dedicated to the expedition that ignited the revolutionary threat in November 1956 when 102 men aboard the Granma vessel. Only a handful survived Batista’s counterattack, among them the two Castro brothers and Ernesto Guevara.
An entire section of the museum is dedicated to Che, covering the entire story of a young, asthmatic, medical-graduate Argentinian who was destined to become a key figure of the entire Cuban revolution and an international icon.
Page 1/...Page 2
|
Comments
CorriereTandem.com editors reserve the right to edit, review and allow or reject, in their entirety, website comments. Those comments that are posted are not the opinions of Corriere Canadese/Tandem, or Multimedia Nova Corporation nor its affiliates but only of the writer. Spelling and grammar errors will not be corrected. We will not allow comments that include personal attacks on citizens at large; comments that make false or unsubstantiated allegations; comments that claim to quote people or reports where the quote or fact is not publicly known; or comments that include vulgar language or libelous statements.
|
| Home / Back to Top |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Share
