Celebrating Cuba 111th Year Of Independence!!

Attention to all reading this or about to read it. By no means this is a going to be a political war of sorts, keep your opinions polite and as professional as possible since this is a very delicate subject for many Cubans. Everyone is welcome to participate and express their opinions. Needless to say that I'm targeting more the Cuban FFXI community i know there is few of us. But please for once come out here and express yourself and ideas and lets share our history and heritage so that others can also know a bit about our history.

Today, all of Cuba is celebrating its 111-year old independence from Spain. Christopher Columbus arrives in 1492 that brought colonization by the Spaniards for over 400 years.

It was not until the conclusion of the Spanish-American War that Spanish rule left the island nation in 1898 even though most other Latin American countries had gained their freedom from Spain by 1825. The country officially become independent on May 20, 1902.

Cuba’s fight for independence was lead by the country’s national heros: Jose Marti, Maximo Gomez, Antonio Macio amongst others. Many U.S. Cubans do not celebrate Cuban Independence Day because of the communist rule of Fidel Castro and now his brother Raul Castro. In Cuba the day is celebrated with parades but is not a public holiday.

Cubans celebrate on October 10 as their “Dia de la Independencia” to commemorate when in 1868 the fight for independence started with the Ten Years’ War.

Since the U.S. and Cuba do not have diplomatic relations Cuban Independence Day is not formally recognized by the U.S. Government. Cuban-American Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) noted:

“Today marks the 111th Anniversary of Cuba’s independence from Spain but, sadly, Cubans in Cuba are not free. The people of Cuba are not free to assemble peacefully without facing repression at the hands of the Castro regime. They are not free to speak their minds without fear of incarceration. They are not free to claim their future at the ballot box. On this day, I stand with my Cuban brothers and sisters that long for the return of freedom, independence and democracy to their country.

It has been a great pleasure in recent months to meet with a number of brave human rights defenders from Cuba who yearn for real political and economic change on the island. Today, I commend them and Cuba’s growing opposition movement, which fights daily for their basic rights at great personal risk.”

Even after many years of war and countless deaths by many patriots Cuba didn't really achieve any independence after the 10 year war , which in reality was a lot longer than that. Since you have to count all the years of slavery that the people were submitted to before that happen. The independence was only in books and paper since in reality we were sold "como una papa caliente". The dream of all the Cuban Heroes has become that a dream that still hasn't been realized today. Even though there is many of us that still have not only hopes but the certainty that it will happen in the age of our generations.
The day i left my beloved country I was 17 years old. I had made a decision that changed my life, to leave my own country, but by no means did i leave in a plane like normal person would, by no means did i have the luxury to tell my mother were i was going, to kiss my grandmother for the last time. Or even to said goodbye to many friends and my girlfriend of many years. Nope i couldn't do that i was unable to do so , instead i took a raft leaving from one of the coasts of cuba call Santa Cruz del Norte. It was 3 o'clock in the morning as a small boat from a friend took about 9 miles into the ocean to be as close as possible to international waters. There my odyssey began, i had to paddle my way for 73 hours or by myself in the middle of the gulf of Mexico on a raft hand made by me and a friend that had help me with it. All i had was my compass about 4 gallons of water boiled eggs and some food i had taken from my house. After the coast dissapeared from sight and the darkness totally sank and the realization of what i had done took over me.....
There is no way that i can express the fear that i felt the desperation and desire to scream and go back. Only one thing kept my going determination and well my being as stubborn and proud as i had always been i couldn't made myself to go back. After about 3 days of being in the sea i was burned from head to toe hungry food was gone had about half a gallon of water left and i think i was seeing stuff already because i saw a boat coming closer to me, but i wasn't it a guard coast boat from Mexico. It was 9 o'clock or so i think. I was rescued finally. I was taken to Mexico were they threw me in jail because they didn't know what to do with me. Since the agreement for the Cuban treaty wasn't fully in effect yet. I spend 8 months in Mexico before finally making to the united states i jumped thru many hoops, ***holes and such. But was finally here reunited with my father and grand mother which passed away some years ago, she was the one that actually pay to get me here claim me so i could get out of Mexico.

I'm sorry i have you guys read this rant that is my history , this is just an example of the extent that the Cuban people go thru to achieve if only a little bit of freedom. My story is by no means extraordinary. There is many of us that never made it past the gulf of Mexico their dreams and hopes die there with them. But they are not forgotten they live in the hope that one day my country will know true independence liberated from the tyranny that oppresses the Cuban people Right now and independent of any influence or colony from other countries.
Please never forget were we come from, lets always remember all the sacrifices that have been made so that we all one can see
A Cuba That is Truly Libre!!
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Sincerely
Maykel Hernandez Garcia

I love ropa vieja

I live in Miami there is more than a few restaurants that make great food here in Miami and obviously mostly Cuban food.

La Carreta^^

I Should had made a thread about cuban food lol /jk jk .
one of the best cuban restaurants here in miami used to be a very small one call rancho luna true home made cuban food sadly it closed down

Yes please!

For those that dont know this is "El Paseo del Prado" a beautiful place in the capital , Havana.

this is the kind of pictures that im looking for pictures of the guy that put me in jail in Cuba for 3 years , enslave and politically prosecuted my family and my country man for past 56 years i think now . I could live without and im sure many others Cuban will agree with me on the matter. Now i remember you Hevans , one question if you are Cuban why do you have a picture of the tyrant that enslave your country as your avatar. By no means do i mean this as an offense but as curiosity. i know how intelligent fidel is i read all of his 5 books and studied in Havana university so did my uncles and aunts . i appreciate many of the things the revolution did for my people also the good at least. So im wondering if maybe is a sign of admiration instead of ridicule

Reading @ 3AM about Cuba's history, I deserve a cigar for this Nadie.

I'll make sure i bring a box of partagas special edition , golden box hand made , from the first cape of leafs the tobacco plants grow, the cure it on huge tobacco houses for 2 weeks, all the process by hand is one of the best Cuban cigars better sometimes than cohiba which is just famous but by far not the best

My father always told me that the country was very beautiful before Castro. Wish I could've seen it.

The country was incredible it used to be called the pearl of the Caribbean . My great grandfather was the regional manager in Latin America for gmc back on those days, my father said the people Americans and industrialists with money will buy the cars to ride them for the first time in the streets of Havana


In that note this El malecon also in the capital , it runs for over 25 miles i believe not sure right now , you can sit there at night to drink rum and watch the sunrise is a very moving experience. i miss it a lot

Made my 1st visit there 11 years ago for my 21st birthday. Visited my grandfather, who drinks his rum like water, and my other family members. First time I ever got wasted Thanks to my grandfather, never drank rum before, he handed me 3 shots of rum and I tried my best to hold out until I ran to the bathroom to let it all out (while my mother was recording all this in her video camera). Best times spending with my family in Cuba.

See North Korea should take some pointers on how to be commies

My grandfather used to take to play dominos with him when i was like 9 10 years old, used to give rum shots all the time since them , is a different culture kids even when you are small you considered a man and well they is certain things man is supposed to one them drink rum and hold it well lol

on that note Cuba actually took notes from Russia which was socialist never communist , North Korea obviously had a lot of influence from Russia but deviate to make their own concept, unfortunately . Well i think most countries that practice Communism all done the same.