Pitajones (Trinidad, Sancti Spíritus) — Six and a half decades after that January 5, 1961, "we continue to be the Conrado Benítez Brigades, we continue to be the Vanguard of the Revolution."
This was emphasized in this remote area of Sancti Spíritus geography by Naima Ariatne Trujillo Barreto, Minister of Education, recalling two emblematic lines from the anthem sung by about 100,000 young people, direct protagonists of the epic that made it possible to alphabetize more than 700,000 people across Cuba.
To the pride and admiration of the audience, composed of children, youth, teaching staff, neighbors, guests, and the highest authorities of the Party and Government at the provincial and municipal levels, the minister recalled that on such a day, the young literacy teacher Conrado Benítez García had been murdered by counterrevolutionary bandits operating in the area — the first victim of terrorism against Cuban education workers — who was barely 18 years old.
During the event, trainee educators, those with years of experience, or those returning to the sector received recognitions. Photo: Pastor Batista Valdés
After expressing gratitude for the invitation, Naima conveyed the privilege it represents to resume the teaching activities for the current academic year in a place of such historical significance.
During her speech, she emphasized the revolutionary and educational virtues of that young man who, since childhood, polished shoes and had to work very hard to help his humble family, while at night he was often seen immersed in books and notebooks.
The gathering also allowed for an appreciation of Conrado's courage, who did not give up his determination to keep moving forward, despite a local resident warning him about the trap set by the very bandits who had tried in vain to make him abandon his mission as a literacy teacher and who ultimately tortured him savagely and hanged him, just as they did to the peasant Eliodoro Rodríguez Linares.
The commemoration, held at the Conrado Benítez School in the mountainous community, was an opportune moment to condemn the cowardly aggression perpetrated by the United States against Venezuela and the kidnapping of that nation's legitimate president Nicolás Maduro along with his wife Cilia Flores.
(Taken from Granma)
