A Snippet of Time

By Esteban Diaz

The days have passed quickly since May Day 2009. The activity that several like-minded comrades and I had organized that day turned out to be a success. For those who don’t remember, I’ll refresh your memory.

The idea was to march along with the workers of Havana in the May Day parade holding up two large signs: one that read “Down with the Bureaucracy, Long Live the Workers, More Socialism”and the other with the words “Workers: Let’s Decide and Direct Our Socialism.”

I have to tell you, the slogans were very well accepted by all the workers around us; there were those who even joined in, accepting those rallying cries as their own.

For us this came to represent something very significant since it met our objective that people revive and reaffirm their position in support of the Revolution.

We (my comrades and I) stood up to reaffirm the idea of the late Cuban revolutionary, Celia Hart, when she said that it was not Cuba that people must support, but the Revolution. These words hit the nail on the head, since it is the international and national revolutionary processes that will take Cuba forward.

We were also satisfied that our signs were highlighted the next day in Juventud Rebelde, the official newspaper of the UJC (Young Communist League), as being slogans that “reflect the commitment to save that which has allowed us to grow and remain” – a system that we believe is an example for all workers of the world.

Our contribution, although small, meant something to the group of workers who smiled when seeing the signs we carried and their slogans, uniting us for a just future for all workers.

This was just a snippet of time, that we hope mushrooms over time. Only with the participation of all workers and other social groups we will be able to dislodge the bureaucracy that hampers and mines this revolution.

A greeting to all those who support the worker, the day laborer; to all those who sustain the economy with sacrifice and sweat, without exploiting anyone.