Welcome to my Blog. It will be shameful to waste the fabulous opportunity offered by new technology found in the ever growing worldwide web, known as the Internet. To be able and use a vehicle that allows you the opportunity to reach millions of people in our Universe, from the convenience of your own small home office, is unbelievable.
Of course, there is no way I know how many will access these writings. Will it be read by millions, thousands, hundreds or perhaps only a handful of friends and relatives? That is not important to me. At this point in my life being sincere with myself is what matters. I am not looking for fame, employment, recognition or any type of political aspirations. To explain the reasons that motivate me to write this blog rewinds me back to my birth place... it is there the answers are found!
May 1956. I was 18 years old. Engaged to Martha (still currently my wife after over half a century).
Young, explosive, full of energy, desire and inexperienced. Just out of secondary school, very much in love and looking for the right job to marry my sweetheart and begin living as a couple, raising a family. We were born in Havana, Cuba and during this time I finished my education becoming an Accountant. Began my career in the banking industry. Our island was suffering difficult times in its politics. The Government in power had taken control of the country by a 'military coup' on September 4, 1952. The democratic government elected by free choice of the people was forced out of the country while a group of officers of the Cuban Army, following the leadership of a Sargent named Fulgencio Batista Zaldivar, assumed the leadership of the institutions. Immediately following the 'coup' a group of students at the University of Havana began protesting against the intrusion of the military forces and it is there that the revolutionary process was born. There were different ideas among the students regarding 'how to' combat the military government'. One of these groups was organized by a young lawyer named Fidel Castro Ruz, his idea was to fight the regime with an armed uprising. With this idea in mind on July 26, 1953 Castro and a small group of his followers attacked an Army based known as Moncada's Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. This resulted in a failed attempt to take the country back from the military. During the battle ensued many of the insurgents lost their lives and the rest was captured. Among the prisoners was Fidel Castro himself. He was found guilty on a civil suit and sentenced to serve 15 years in Isla de Pinos prison. That day in history gave Castro's group their name for which they are known: 'the 26 of July movement'.
Fidel Castro's father was born in Galicia, Spain and was a sugar planter. Fidel was educated in catholic schools. His family enjoyed a social and financial status above average for Cubans. It was the financial position and the tight connections to the Catholic Church that permitted the family to approach Batista and utilizing friends, church pressures along with the liberal press in the United States, were able to have Fidel sent into exile to Mexico in 1955. It is from there that in December 1956 Castro and a small group of men (82 in total) invaded Cuba in a ship named Granma near Manzanillo, eastern part of the Island. The invaders were easily defeated by the military forces of the Government and only 18 of them survived in the nearby Sierra Maestra, where Castro setup his operational base and remained until the first day of January 1959, waging guerrillas war, propagandizing and polarizing Cuban opinion in a way that he became the sole credible power in Cuba.
But, how was this small group of men managed, in a very short time, 12/56 to 1/1/59 (just a little over 2 years) overthrow a military regime properly armed and financially able to create the basis to eliminate any type of subversive activities? There are two reasons for this, the first one was the abuses being perpetrated
by most public servants, commencing with Batista himself. They were a bunch of insatiable thieves draining the once very stable financial condition of the Island. In order to continue raping the country's financial resources, they created a repressive organization to torture and kill anyone opposing their system, the young and brave did not stop protesting and verbalizing their disdain for the corruption and abuses committed by the armed forces, local police and members of the repressive departments created to repel any signs of protest. The second reason why this revolution succeeded was because as result of the crimes being perpetrated by the authorities, more and more people began to unite in a common effort to end what was happening to the little island that not long ago had been an example in prosperity, educational standards, entrepreneurial success, well above every other Latin Nation in the fields of medicine, engineering, science, literacy, just about in every area you can think of... Cuba was at the top. Our Cuban Peso was at-par with the American dollar, in fact, many in the Island got on planes and travel 90 miles to Southern Florida and pay for all goods and services with Cuban Pesos. No other Latin American country has ever been able to do this.
That is how I became involved in politics, without having an appetite for it and in spite of being young and inexperienced, the circumstances forced me to, (as it did thousands of other Cubans), get involved trying to guarantee a future to the children Martha and I planned in having. An underground movement, unprecedented in the history of human kind was born, we all had a function to carry out in order to cooperate with the renaissance of our country... cells of participants formed, nobody knew who the other members on the cell were because if you got caught the repressive elements of the Government did not stop at whatever means they felt was necessary to make you blow the whistle and name who else was involved... Millions of pesos began to be raised and suddenly the small contingent of soldiers in the mountains were not alone, the financial resources created allowed for the acquisition of weapons, ammunition, armored vehicles, adequate food and clothing, incorporation of new combatants to other areas of the island, using the same principles of Sierra Maestra, international support for the cause we all believe in... STOP the stealing, torturing, killing and make our country the place we all wanted to be, a paradise for the benefit and enjoyment of 'all Cubans'... that is what drove Batista out of Cuba and yielded the Government to Castro... At no time during this period there was a declaration of any alliance to communism from the lips of Castro or any of his commandants... that is the hardest yet most painful experience learned from all this, to discover how it is that politicians are in their majority 'dirty', 'liars', 'manipulators of masses', 'people can't be trusted'.
For a very long time these scars stay with you and can't help but question the reasons why you did it... then you find a career, your children are born and you find a new reason for which to live, however, what happened... will never leave you. Cannot help thinking and questioning, what could I have done different?...
Upon the so-called "triumph" of the Cuban revolution and the success of Castro and his troops, January 1, 1959, I had barely turned 21 years old, and suddenly was elected Delegate of my work place's syndicate (union). Very powerful position since I worked for the largest Bank in the country with a total of 61 branches in the island and well over 2,000 union members in the ranks. I believe this happened as a result of both my activities in the underground during the difficult times of fighting the military and my abilities to learn quickly about social laws coupled with my outgoing personality, which permitted me to make friends easily among the members and the representatives of the employer. I was well liked and accepted by all and felt that was making a major contribution to the cause all Cubans had risked their lives for... the freedom and independence of our home land. At age 21 that is how I analyzed and looked at my life and then I was awakened... how painful to wake up to reality! Here is what happened:
The delegates from all different banks gathered together for a National Planning Conference to set the guidelines of what and how we were going to benefit our members in the Island... The gathering took place in the City of Havana... There were probably around 800 of us holding similar positions at different institutions, some larger than others; of course, the responsibility of my job weighed heavily since I represented the largest concentration of members, and I was eager to learn, was happy, Cuba was free, as such I listen attentively to the National leaders of the Federation and to my surprise a well known group of members of the Communist Party began to outline a program of 'how-to-do' and 'what-to-do' and the delegates were following with attention their presentation... immediately I requested the use of the microphone from the Chairman and when granted, questioned in the open floor the whereabouts of members of the Communist Party during the tough days of risking our lives in order to either raise funds by selling bonds to the citizenry, transporting food, cloth and worst yet, weapons and ammunition to the forces on the hills since the Party was closely keeping ties with Batista...
Today I still questioned how it is that I'm alive and/or free... the maximum leader of the Bankers Syndicate in the province of Havana took me aside and told me 'Gil, you're very young, please try to refrain your energy and finally understand that those people you are confronting are under direct orders from Fidel himself'...
I believe the hand of God has been directly involved in my life since. This person that opened my eyes was sentenced later on to 30 years in prison when they discovered he was a dissident. I don't know what happened to him but I will be forever grateful, because in my heart I think he apologized in my behalf and blamed my attitude in my young age and inexperienced... he saved my life, otherwise I believe I would have been given a long term sentence and/or the death penalty... That was the end of my relationship with the Cuban Revolution, with Fidel Castro and my involvement in Unions and Syndicates... after those difficult moments I resigned my appointment and began experiencing the same type of persecution and harassment all Cubans suffer when they disagree with anything they say or do.
Suffered the pain of being jailed for and had to hide while getting the visas for my family and my own for a trip outside of my land that has not had a return... and maybe never will. But I still miss my beautiful Cuba!
After reading this first article to my Blog, I hope you will understand the reasons why I decided to write... when I was very young a group of my own people used me along with a whole country and a great part of the world, exploiting my pure idealistic sentiments and desire for a better future for the people of my country... today in the United States of America, my second country, the one that opened up its arm and embraced my family and me I see danger...
imminent danger in the behavior of a group very similar to the one back home, with different names Barack Obama (instead of Fidel Castro), Nancy Pelosi, & Harry Reid (instead of Ché Guevara & Raúl Castro)... different times, different names, but a common denominator, the same lies, same objective, the destruction of what has been created with the sacrifices and blood of honest, hard working Americans... and I don't know what to do... but I know that I have to do something to open eyes and create conscience in order to stop this out of control race geared to the elimination of all democratic institutions that have made of our country, an example to the rights and liberties of all Nations in the world.
I consider my most sacred duty and responsibility to try, to the best of my abilities, take a message to all citizens of the United States, no matter where they have come from, this is the Great Melting Pot.
DO NOT ALLOW THE SAME LIES AND MANIPULATIVE POLITICIANS THAT BURIED MY LITTLE ISLAND DO THE SAME TO AMERICA... THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA REPRESENTS THE MOST GENEROUS, DEMOCRATIC AND BEST COUNTRY IN ALL OF THE PLANET EARTH!!!
Let us not allow that this 'bunch' of servants to other systems of Government succeed...!!!
Let us not allow that these people destroy the Nation that we all helped create and love...!!!
If ONLY one person read my Articles and react against what this group of liberals, socialists and leftists, are trying to do to our beloved country, the time invested by me trying to bring the truth to all of you, will be more than worth the effort...
November 2, 2010 is ONLY 49 days away... That will be the time to take our Country back...
Remember, that day will mark the beginning of putting America back in the right course again... let's start by taking the House, the Senate and the Cities away from them... the final blow will come in 2012!!!
Now is time to send them the message... we don't want anybody representing us, that in their hearts feel the way our enemies do... LET'S TAKE OUR COUNTRY BACK... WITH THE POWER OF OUR VOTES!
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
