The Left Chapter: Revolutionary Cuba 1975: Sixteen Years of Socialist Construction Part III -- Photographs and History

Monday, July 16, 2018

Revolutionary Cuba 1975: Sixteen Years of Socialist Construction Part III -- Photographs and History

Today is the third and final part of our look at a remarkable English language book published in Havana in 1975 that celebrated 16 years of Communist rule. Part I can be found here and Part II here.

With 140 photographs of industry, education, rallies, farms, the military and construction, among other things, Cubans of all walks of life are shown. These photos are accompanied by text that chronicles and describes the history of the revolution and its accomplishments to that point.

These accomplishments are all the more impressive given the American embargo of the island.

This final installment has 44 photographs that include many devoted to education (including institutions like the National Art School and the School of Dance), sports (the shot of the rodeo in Lenin Park is pretty wild), the Cuban military and anti-imperialist resistance. I found those of the new nursery school in the former barracks and the beaming children they call "The Future of the Country" especially moving.

There is also more of the text relating the history and evolution of the revolution's first 16 years. These are sections on education, health, sports, trade unions, people's power and several covering other areas. When speaking of the revolutionary armed forces Fidel Castro noted: "The need to possess a powerful defense is not a whim of the revolution, it is a necessity imposed upon us by the imperialist enemy", something always worth remembering when socialist revolutions face immediate capitalist encirclement and relentless attack.

(Click on images to enlarge)