And the words of the Commander in Head of the Revolution grow green again in the ruts pregnant with this May 1st, where paraded -in arms of different generations of Cuband- Aracelio Iglesias Díaz, Jesus Menéndez Larrondo and the General Secretary of the Cuban Workers Federation, who dedicated his last sighs to the preparation of that transcendental XIIIrd Working Congress.

Poor, blacks, communists and incorruptible trade union leaders, synthesized in the same history these brave men who faced the governments of shift and North American companies to defend the claims of the exploited workpeople.

Jesus Menéndez y Aracelio Iglesias, were murdered to shots by the back. The life of Menéndez, working leader of the sugar sector, was reaped on January 22nd, 1948 by the bailiff Joaquín Casillas Lompuy. And the evening of October 17th of the same year, another Joaquín, the gunman to salary Aubí and his pals, shot four times to treachery against the stevedore and port leader, Aracelio.

Both trade union leaders fought for the increase of the working wages and for the days of eight hours of work. Menéndez battled for the “Sugar Differential”, whose guarantee closing forced the exploitative companies to include it in the sugar agreement of the year 1946 and 1947 with the United States.

Today, the whole island nation vibrate of happiness and among the simple people, Gerardo, Ramón, Antonio, Fernando and René, followed the steps of Aracelio, Jesus, Lazaro... and of so many other heroes that, as they in their historical moment, gave everything for the dreams of then, today realities.

Translated by BA in English Language, Manuel Barrera Téllez

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