Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba celebrates 65th anniversary in Havana

Images via Estudios Revolución

By Alina Perera Robbio, translated from the Spanish

On Friday afternoon, under the trees at the headquarters of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) in the capital’s Vedado, there was a palpable spiritual energy as many creators came together to celebrate the organization’s 65th anniversary, honoring its legacy of uniting talent in defense of the Homeland.

There was a depth of the soul that no dark force could suppress. At one point in the afternoon, during a beautiful ceremony attended by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba and President of the Republic, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the voice and valuable ideas of UNEAC president Marta Bonet de la Cruz were heard.

"The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba," said the musicologist, "reaches its 65 years of life in defense of revolutionary artistic creation. We arrive at this celebration grateful for the legacy of those who gave us an organization of such great importance in the social and cultural life of the nation."

Bonet stated that "we live in times of cruel fascist hostility and a global avalanche of a revived McCarthyism that seeks to erase our identities and subject us to the plundering and squandering of the wealth of our peoples."

"Cuba, attacked and blockaded with the declared purpose of suffocating and destroying us as an independent nation, resists with the same Mambisa ferocity and the courage of the rebels in the Sierra Maestra, convinced, as Fidel taught us, that we will know how to move forward with our own efforts and defend the noble socialist dreams of justice and peace."

"At UNEAC, we feel we are heirs to an artistic and literary legacy that is as Cuban as it is universal, coinciding with Martí's precept that Homeland is Humanity," said the president of the organization, at a celebration that was also attended by Political Bureau member and Secretary of Organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, Roberto Morales Ojeda; Deputy Prime Minister, Inés María Chapman Waugh; Minister of Culture, Alpidio Alonso Grau; along with other leaders.

A special moment unfolded when Marta Bonet presented the work with serial number One, created in the screen printing workshop at UNEAC headquarters. The piece, representing the "Faithful Art" campaign, was intended for Army General Raúl Castro Ruz and was handed over this Friday to President Díaz-Canel, who also received an original artwork by visual artist Janette Brossard on behalf of UNEAC’s writers and artists.

The afternoon was a perfect occasion for a group of writers and artists, founders and members of Honor of the Union, to accept – on behalf of the Cuban intellectual avant-garde – the “Faithful Art” award in celebration of UNEAC’s 65th anniversary.

Speaking for the honorees, visual artist Lesbia Vent Dumois—founder of the organization of the National Prize for Plastic Arts, and vice president of UNEAC—addressed the audience, sharing a heartfelt message with everyone present:

"The writers and artists honoured today on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of our UNEAC, deeply appreciate this gesture." Lesbia spoke of fulfilling with love and dedication this mandate as creators in the Revolution, and emphasized:

"Some of us have been here since the early days, staying true to the Union founded by Fidel and Guillén, which has brought us together since 1961 with colleagues from all artistic fields to support the development of art and literature in the country.."

She said that they have been, are and will be here "until life gives us the energy and clarity we need. The homeland will always need our contributions, and the people will always value the calling of service we embraced as the most rewarding duty of a revolutionary."

It was a splendid afternoon featuring National Music Prize winner Frank Fernández, joined by fellow laureate and Cuban tres master Pancho Amat, the lively rhythms of Cabildo del Son, singer Rosa Moré, musician Abel Acosta, actress Leirys Guerrero Mora, and the decimist El Kíkiri de Cisneros.

This work was translated and shared via a License CC-BY-NC