She was an important personality of the Cuban revolutionary movement, Heroine of the Republic of Cuba and founding president of the Federation of Cuban Women in 1960. With the name of war Deborah, she was a notable clandestine fighter under the orders of Frank País García, especially during the uprising of November 30, 1956 in Santiago from Cuba. He joined the Rebel Army in the Sierra Maestra when her life was in extreme danger in the urban insurrection. Chemical engineer, she fulfilled functions in the exercise of that profession.
From 1959 she was the main driver of the political and state actions to materialize the full access of the woman. From young she assumed revolutionary political positions, participating actively in student demonstrations after the coup d'etat of March 10th, 1952. She became inseparable collaborator of the revolutionary leader Frank País, militating in the organizations founded by him in the fight against Batista’s dictatorship, until forming part of the then National Revolutionary Action, its members joined the ranks of the 26 de Julio Movement.
Inserted in the preparations for the new stage of struggle and after finishing a postgraduate course in the United States, guided by the Direction of the 26th of July Movement, she stopped in Mexico to meet with Fidel Castro and receive his instructions and messages for the fighters who were clandestinely in Cuba.
War of Liberation
Under the direct orders of Frank, she participated in the armed uprising of Santiago de Cuba on November 30, 1956, in support of the Granma yacht expeditioners, and her house became, after this relevant action, the headquarters of the revolutionary movement in Santiago de Cuba.
In the most difficult moments of the guerrilla led by Fidel Castro, in February 1957 she met Frank País, Faustino Pérez and other members of the National Directorate of the 26th of July Movement to coordinate support from the plains, and lead New York Times reporter Herbert Matthews to Fidel's presence. The publication of the interview that the journalist made to the leader of the guerrilla would overturn Batista’s propaganda based on the supposed death of Fidel.
As a member of the National Directorate of the Movement July 26, shortly before being assassinated Frank País, she was appointed by him as Provincial Coordinator of the clandestine organization in Oriente province, a task she performed with particular ability and courage until, in the face of stalking and the constant persecution, she joined the Rebel Army in June 1958, becoming a guerrilla woman of the Second Frank País Second Front and effective coordinator of the clandestine movement of the East with the territory of the Front.
Frank País García Second Front
Vilma Espín's contacts with the guerrillas began with the meeting of the National Directorate in February 1957, which was led by Frank Pais, who was already assessing the revolutionary qualities of the young clandestine fighter.
On July 20, 1957, Vilma Espín, ascended to the leadership of the struggle as provincial coordinator of the MR-26-7, having the great responsibility of supplying the existing guerrilla fronts at those times.
From here, she moves, manages, organizes and directs different actions to this end, establishing for that a messaging system with the enthusiastic and determined participation of other women and men of the territory, as well as others that today make up the provinces of Holguín , Guantánamo and Bayamo.
With the death of Frank País it is assumed the structure designed by him, one of which was that the provincial coordinators form part of the National Directorate, thus Vilma becomes a member of the top leadership of the fight. For the date she traveled in many occasions to the guerrilla territories, to participate in important and decisive missions, among them the meetings carried out in the first months of year 1958.
On June 22, Raul Castro, leader of the second guerrilla front Frank País García, issued the order No. 30 that determined the capture of Americans, known as an antiaircraft operation, on which occasion Vilma rises as an interpreter of the conversations of the guerrilla leader with the consul because her knowledge of the English language.
Her performance allowed her to be protagonist of this unprecedented event and above all to achieve the understanding among the participants, through an efficient communication, where the consuls could know the magnitude of what was happening in the area, with the support of their government.
It is meritorious to emphasize that this fact was also part of the turn that from that moment had the revolutionary life of Vilma, because during her stay in this territory it was decided her permanence like guerrillera and Delegate of the 26 of July Movement before the Second Front, attending fundamentally the supply work. That way it happened to comprise of the maximum direction of the fight in the territory.
She began her guerilla life when the beginning of the transformations for the consolidation of the guerrilla front , that got to be constituted in Insurgent State and in which she remained by six months. In relation to the guerrilla she once said:
"... guarantee to die fighting, not to die hunted. It was tremendous to die hunted
Her participation moved between military and civil life fundamentally:
• Her presence in the constitution of new columns.
• Equitable distribution of supplies, based on the campaign of austerity in the use of funds of the Revolution
• Strengthening of the Departments that formed the front organization, many Second Front combatants rose through her management.
• Contributed to the supply of explosives to the armaments factory, managed the formula for the manufacture of pump.
• Participated actively in the encryption and decryption of keys used as an effective means of communication.
• The Peasant Congress in Arms took place on September 21, 1958, Vilma in the presidency witnessed the debates and the commitments made from an indestructible unit with the peasantry.
• The educational development provided for the political instruction of the officers and, for this reason, the "José Martí" school for army teachers was created in September, ascribed to the Central Command. Vilma was part of the faculty.
• Together with Raul they were sponsors of bridal events held in the territory by the Department of Justice.
The taking of her beloved city required of important meetings, these were carried out in La Rinconada, Central America, Tamarindo, central Oriente and the one that was coordinated in the Sanctuary of El Cobre that didn’t took place due to the treason of the general Eulogio Cantillo . Then she was present in the Escandel where the surrender was agreed upon. Years later, when she was asked about the Rebel Army, she said:
"... it was a school, an immense laboratory where the new social relations and the principles of human equality, of dignity on which our Revolution was founded, began. What we aspired for the whole country, began to be formed in the mountains "
Revolution in power
When the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution on January 1st, 1959 she led the unification of the feminine organizations constituting the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC) on August 23th, 1960, to whose organization, from its maximum direction, consecrated with singular effort until the last minute of her life. She integrated the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba from its foundation in 1965, condition in which she was ratified in all its Congresses. In 1980, on the occasion of the Second Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, she was elected alternate member of the Political Bureau, and in the third she was promoted to effective member of that instance of direction, responsibility that she carried out until 1991. She was Deputy to the National Assembly since its first legislature and member of the Council of State since its constitution.
Since its creation, Vilma chaired the National Commission for Prevention and Social Care, and the Commission for Children, Youth and Equality of Women, of the National Assembly of People's Power.
Due to his outstanding merits, she received many national and international decorations, titles and orders, among them the honorary title of Heroin of the Republic of Cuba.
She died on June 18, 2007 in Havana due to the aggravation of a disease that had been affecting her for some time. Its remains rest in the Mausoleum of the Second Frank País Second Front, a historical place located in the foothills of the Mícara mountain, inaugurated by the Cuban President, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, on March 11, 1978, on the occasion of the XX Anniversary of the creation of the Second Front, founded and directed by today General of the Army and Minister of the FAR, Raúl Castro Ruz, during the struggle in the Sierra Maestra.
Decorations
The incorporation and performance of Vilma Espín in the student struggles, clandestine struggle, the Rebel Army, her unconditional support for the revolutionary process, the extensive work deployed for the equality of women and the rights of all men and women at national and Internationally, made her worthy of important national and international decorations.
One of the collections that today treasures the Memorial Vilma Espín Guillois is the one that contains these decorations, the same ones were transferred by the National Direction of the Federation of Cuban Women.
Title Heroin of the Republic
Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, by agreement of the Council of State, gave her the Title of the Republic Heroine, on December 2, 2001, in an event held in the Plaza de la Revolución Antonio Maceo de Santiago de Cuba, on the occasion of commemorating the 45th anniversary of the landing of the Yacht Granma. Together with Vilma were awarded the title Melba Hernández and Delsa E. Pueblas Viltre (Teté) and was also given this time the Order "Playa Giron".
Order "Ana Betancourt"
At the II Congress of the Federation of Cuban Women, celebrated on November 28, 1974, the Federation of Cuban Women institutes the "Ana Betancourt" Medal, and it was imposed on Vilma on August 23, 1975 by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, in an act celebrated by the XV Anniversary of the foundation of the Federation of Cuban Women, in the theater of the Central of Workers of Cuba "Lázaro Peña". On this occasion, 32 women, including Leocadia Araujo Pérez, Clementina Serra, Gloria Cuadras, Isabel Rielo, Melba Hernández and Celia Sánchez Manduley, were awarded this medal. his design.
Order "Francisco de Miranda"
This international award was given to Vilma in March 2001, during a visit to Venezuela. President Hugo Chávez honors her with the Order "Francisco de Miranda" First Class, on the 23rd of that month in Caracas at the Miraflores Palace. This order is a decoration of Venezuela created in 1943 under the Presidency of Isaías Medina Angarita, destined to reward the services made to the science, to the progress of the country and to the outstanding merit.
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