University of Virginia Library

Venceremos Veterans Tell
Students Of 'Free' Cuba

Before a sympathetic crowd of about
40 persons, three returned members of
the Venceremos Brigade spoke
Wednesday night at the Prism.

Larry Yates, a student from the
Washington area. Bill Baxter, a veteran of
Vietnam, and another returned
Venceremos talked about their
impressions of the people, Communism,
and future of Cuba. Their remarks were
preceded by a brief history of Cuba by a
Virginia graduate student.

The Venceremos Brigade is composed
of young Americans who travel to Cuba
to aid in the harvesting of sugar cane, and to
establish ties between various revolutionary
movements throughout the world.

The returned members, on the whole, were
very impressed with the state of Cuba today.
They spoke of the sense of purpose which
exists throughout Cuban society, and the spirit
for developing Cuba found everywhere.

The impression of militarism, and of an
oppressive society, is incorrect, according to the
speakers. One of them said he had never felt as
free as he did when in Cuba. Education and free
exchange of ideas (at least in conversations) are
basic parts of Cuban society.

The returned members were also impressed
by Fidel Castro. On Christmas Day he visited
the Brigade, and worked in the fields with
them.

Every week Mr. Castro works at least a few
days in the fields with the cane cutters.

The Brigade also met some North Vietnamese
and Viet Cong soldiers. One speaker
talked about visiting them in their tent and
drinking with them as they discussed various
topics.

The Brigade worked in the fields for about
six weeks, and then toured the country for
about two more. They visited cities, factories,
and farms. They said although they knew that
they had been seeing the better side of Cuba,
that they had enough opportunities to get out
to the people (for instance, a day spent
wandering around Havana), that they were not
worried about getting a misrepresented picture
of the country.

The first Brigade, which left last fall and
returned two weeks ago, has been followed by
another, which sailed on a Cuban freighter from
Canada this month. The first had 216 members,
the second 700.

The overall picture the speakers gave was
that the trip had been extremely worthwhile,
and that America could learn a few things from
our Communist neighbor to the south about
freedom and individual rights.