The Bobby Sands Sierra Maestra Trek | Sinn Féin solidarity in Cuba

In the footsteps of revolutionary heroes

January 4th 1959: Celia Sanchez pictured in front of Fidel as he waves in celebration entering Cienfuegos after the victory over the Cuban dictator Batista

A DELEGATION of Sinn Féin activists travelled to Cuba in October/November for the inaugural ‘Bobby Sands Sierra Maestra Trek’. It is hoped that this will become an annual event during which Irish republicans will get the opportunity to travel to Cuba, meet with activists and other citizens across Cuba, and learn from and exchange views and experiences with them.
Those taking part in the trek had to fund the trip themselves, and in the months leading up to their departure, to their credit, they managed through collective effort to reach their target.
The following is a personal account from one of those who took part, Dale Moore of Derry Sinn Féin.

TOUCHING down on a balmy Cuban autumn evening we weren’t sure what to expect but we were full of anticipation. We all knew it would be an experience of a lifetime.
As our host, Yobel, greeted us at the airport with a large smile, we began a political and social education that would live with us forever.
It is impossible to put all of our experiences into one article but I will attempt to relate the highlights of the trip.
After an evening meal and an early night we emerged from the hotel into bright sunshine the next morning to begin a walking tour of old Havana. As we wandered from historic square through narrow streets we could see history  in every corner, square and street of the old city.
In a remarkable coincidence we met with some of the families of the Cuban Five who were out for the birthday of Antonio Guerrero and we joined them in their celebrations.  We exchanged solidarity greetings and accompanied them to a restaurant where we got the opportunity to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ down the phone to Antonio. This is a campaign we can help and must get behind.
The next day we met with an old friend of Sinn Féin, the former Ambassador to Ireland, Noelle Carrillo.
Noelle explained at length the reforms that were being implemented to improve the lives of the Cuban people.
We travelled to meet ICAP, the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Relations, and then walked the short distance to the Hunger Strike Memorial where, after a small ceremony including the local Cuban people who maintain the monument, a wreath was laid in memory of the sacrifice of Irish Hunger Strikers.
After visiting the many historical sites of Havana we then flew south to Santiago de Cuba for another series of meetings, which included the Cuban Youth Movement.
We paid a visit to the famous Moncada Barracks, the scene of the first attempted uprising led by Fidel Castro. This national monument is also now used as a school and we were delighted to be able to meet with the children who sang their National Anthem to us with such pride as it was the actual day marking the creation of the Cuban anthem.
We then moved west into Bayamo and had a wonderful time meeting with veterans of the revolution, including people who had fought in the Sierra Maestra alongside Che and Fidel. This was a humbling experience for us all as these old men told us how they were still part and felt part of the continuing revolution.
One of the internationally unsung heroes of the Cuban revolution is Celia Sanchez and it was fitting that we visited her house and also met the Federation of Cuban Women in her province. Like many Irish female revolutionaries, she is a role model and inspiration to all of us. Fidel fought hard to ensure equality for women during the revolution and this can be seen with the amount of women involved at the highest level of Cuban politics (a lesson we can all certainly learn from).
That evening was the highlight of the trip for many of us as we went into a neighbourhood to meet the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. The entire neighbourhood turned out to greet us and while they don’t have a lot they put on a spread that could have graced any banquet.
After a few formalities we mingled with the locals and ended up having an open-air party where we danced and sang the night away and, believe it or not, there was not an alcoholic drink in sight!
The next morning it was up and away to do some serious hiking across the Sierra Maestra to the camp that sheltered the revolutionaries at the beginning of the revolution.
First we saw where it all began at the landing site of the ‘Granma’. One historian wrote of the Granma:
“In November 1956, 82 Cuban rebels piled onto the small yacht Granma and set sail for Cuba to touch off the Cuban Revolution.
“The yacht, designed for only 12 passengers and supposedly with a maximum capacity of 25, also had to carry fuel for a week as well as food and weapons for the soldiers.
“Miraculously, the Granma made it to Cuba on December 2nd and the Cuban rebels (including Fidel and Raul Castro, Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos) disembarked to start the revolution.”
It was then onto the mountain range for the climb.
The natural beauty of the area masked the hard work of climbing the mountain in the heat but it was worth it to see the camp.  It was very easy to be transported back in time and imagine ‘companeros’ living their lives here.
Coming off the mountain we met local farmers who were willing to share their produce with us and their organic bananas and oranges were soon devoured with enthusiasm.
From where Che lived and fought for freedom we then travelled to where he lies in peace in Santa Clara. The impressive memorial stands tribute to a man who not only inspired the Cuban people but revolutionaries across the globe. It was therefore fitting that the Director of the monument accepted ten stones, one each from the graves of our Hunger Strikers, and promised that they would be laid within the site and treated with reverence as these men also inspire revolutionaries across the world. It is good to see that people who have died unselfishly are now united in death with the common theme of sacrifice for humanity.
Visiting the tomb where Che and his comrades rest one can reflect in the silence and glow of the eternal flame how important the sacrifice of the patriot dead has been in advancing people’s revolutions. With our own personal thoughts we left to view Che’s belongings in the museum situated next door.
After visiting several other sites - including the armoured train site, the attack that signalled victory in the revolution - we ended our political tour and headed for Varadero for a few days’ rest.
This gave us the opportunity to reflect on the trip and the lessons of the Cuban revolution.
The Cuban nation is relatively young and emerging from being squeezed between two super-powers but is now developing as a nation on its own right, self-sufficient and confident of improving the lives of its people.
The people may not be wealthy but they are extremely rich in terms of their culture, politics and history. They are a generous people who are willing to share not only their experiences but also their meagre possessions.
Their politics flow from the bottom up and equality is ingrained in their political philosophy.
The right to education and health and the welfare of the people top their agenda.
Their ability to organise and resolve problems as a collective means that the nation grows together.
When James Connolly said, “Rise with your class, not out of it,” he could have been speaking about Cuba.
The biggest lesson we learned was that unless your revolution embraces humanity and the betterment of all the people you have wasted your time.
I am sure that if I return to Cuba in ten years’ time that the lives of the local people will have been improved immensely but that the principles of the revolution will still be firmly in place, directing that improvement.
Hasta la victoria siempre!