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8/15/1973 - Report from a Cuban Prison XVIII: St. Valentine's Day by Frank J. McDonald

NOT FOR PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITER S CONSENT FJM INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS REPORT FROM A CUBAN PRISON XVIII ST VALENTINE S DAY New York August According calendar passed since arrest Christmas Eve I noted St Valentine Day I celebrated working reading program preparing myself mentally prison I certain Diaz gomng prosecute Yet after announcement never For three weeks I waited musing about I would spend twenty years prison But Diaz disappeared leaving totally isolated without about going Mean_ while I imagined every possibility Perhaps working another doing stint volunteer labor fields Maybe waiting detail checked United States befQre coming final decision Then St Valentine Day phole pulled But instead hearing Vamanos guard called handed small bound biography Jose Marti famous Cuba century patriots Uncertain meant I grabbed volume indeed number 206473 cover It upper corner written I Diaz Running possible meanings having seemed plausible It Otherwise would Diaz about Father Cuban Revolution anagent CIA Unlikely There little ponder minutes later peephole swung command Let And interrogation straight chair I before Diaz again With smile tilting backwards leather chair Diaz asked I liked Very I I reading chapter Then leaning across ntire gesure concern Diaz asked there anything I would To uestion seemed verbal embrace I impetuously leapt YES I My freedom I freedom Besides freedom Other Diaz waving aside Then yogurt I An afterthought I remembered those happier during merienda clock Cubans drink yogurt sugar Diaz likedthat Hls beamed Cuban delight In pleaslng friend Wlth without sugar laugh Wth I repled gratefully Then Daz another surprise Would I moved another comfortable number In upper I arranged You It br_ghter equipped shower llght swltch I preferable nmber As predicted I dlscoverng luxury pacing ffteen across number compared I number This shower lights especially yogurt sugar twice daily Cuban prison More important symbolic value these changes A infused interrogation which really become dialogues conversations Each still average every other Diaz considerate For first spoke freely easily talking about himself personal values attitude toward Revo lution family education No longer abrasive hostile different person I during campaign In Sierra I wated Fidel But I young carry weapon though there fifteen Rifles scarce A prove himself before Comandante would issue I proved myself messenger carrying communiques forth between columns After triumph Revolution I wanted Rebel Army superZors Revolu really wante school It Rebel Army I school Joined Mn Interior It formed In I since So already official investigator State Security R What matter Do I older No older I always assume6 ol6er I Age Important especlally The Revo lution generatlon great responsib early Ever since blrthday I devoted Revolution which Just pseudonym something myself I I It So I entrusted respo Revolution Its enemies partlcularly Enemy Number One You I shook S The CIA course That enemy Number One You understand Is Revolut_on defend Itself It eyery Revolutionary protect galns Revolution falls shoulders member Department State Security workers students young Th_s example others Palla Herberto Palla Cuban critic Castro reglme arrested In February brought questloned about their actlvt Padllla I scussed actvltles Just I Not wrote making contact foreigners llnked CIA Eventually evaluated poslt reallzed Revolution deserves total commltment workers students For struggle mperlallsm It wrlter Inspire people ennoble struggle Here everyone writer deflne poslt_on We cannot exceptions intellectu Hear Neutrality revolutlonary I anything content D1az flnlsh thought But characteristic offhan whether I thought myself revolutionary What Is posltlon Not I balked My poslton Well I revolutionary serlous buslness It I myself Whe I think lutionary I think Hebert Delia Lisa Manuel Andreas though I consider revolutionaries Cuban Revolution Me Im might progressive revolutlonary Would D1az asked I depends deflne _what revolutlonary To throw about Ss thing Anyone sa__y revolution revolutionary something entirely In trees revolutlonary truth It revolutlonary tnequtSes ojustlces compellea something about How about changing thlngs another question That I thlnk individual decle himself Not etrely The vidul But unerstao world In space glganttc struggle taking place struggle between oppresse peoples worla their oppressors For oppressor economic poltttcal system exploits world system controls slxty percent worle wealth consumes thlra available energy resources every U S mperSalSsm Now either St oppose There Is ground Remember I serious about those blooa There Ss tectlon anyone Stopping there Diaz looea apparently consider something A moments brought flngers folding there going Look bllke though hewas comlng reality How olive green Olive greeo I asKea Yes Oltve green L Pulling uniform shirt sleeve Dtaz nIcatea talktg about uniform How secretary You Join Mn Wh You kiIng I scoffe What would pinlerot Wouldnt objections 1Major Manuel PiIero member Central Committee Chief Departmeot State Security Disz muperIor PIIero married American New York He I suggest Whatever I I recommeo eoough Daz looke BesCes translate You bright serve Revolution Yes I Revolutionary I Cuban Don Cuban olive green I amazed I wondered Is In Cuba solution Dlaz often suggested Fur thermore about novl8 flancee I asked delvlng reasons reject Idea What If I wanted marry someone North American D threw laughed Brlng He raised imitate motion plane In fllght She after while maybe years return Unlted States How sound But I Amerlcan So We North Amerlcans working W agalnst North Americans llvlng Cuba Those friends We worklng In Mlnlstry Interlor I think I In I dlsmayed Looklng exasperated disappointed Dlaz It Important I joklng That enough today We tomorrow The suggestion about olive never arose agaln But D somethlng ststement It summary conversations That I wrote simply det8ll facts It record I loomed uncertain reassured Don worry It about being agent nothing about espionage There hidden tricks golng Tribunal What mstter Don trust Don trust Revolution I I looked amazement Do really I Now document It carefully change It If I loomed It At In Declaration Then followed written alese whereas ntroducng paragraph It sounded official language straightforward blunt Daz hmself No mention CIA ecept reference uncle In Declaration stated I writer nvted Cuba gathered sensitive nformat_on In pursuing materal Daz called economc nformaton I volated freeze currently Imposed activity The I uncle CIA I considered Joining agency complicating though relevant factor NeverSheless because I gathered sensitive nformaton about Revolution I ncurred moral Interntonl Revolutionary Movement general Cuban Revolution particular could expiated accepting whever Revolution commended What Is Moral Debt I asked And suDposed perform Frst I eplan moral Our Revolutionary Moral opposed Bourgeois Morality We soc_al being whose cannot considered outside society which Society entrusts seres mperatves standards which condition behavior In society mposes moralty ndvdual In society Bourgeois Society mmoral volate sacred Prvate Property Your morality punishes those steal because hungry mprsons those rebel against unjust order blesses large corporations large landowners monopo control power society Isn there standard North America steal bread Sheyll throw steal railroad electon senator president In soc_ety other private property economic exploitation thngs yourself Here anyone appropr iates property soc_ety unjustly labor others punished The Revolution He doesn shall Thus punish loafer exclude social parasite exalt create through their efforts goods society whole That labor hghest activity No esteemed worker To bourgeois contrary means maintain their system exploitation moral Anything Justified defense system colonialism racism economic exploitation Third World mper_alsc genocide blackmal The economic blockade country mposed example We Communss repudiate morality those mehods For morality Jus opposite Everything contributes freeing social emancpaton moral Buidng Revolution therefore moral An personally attest toths emonstratng wllng grate process Not youvo amaging Revolutionary process something posltlve Revolutionary process tself You assist progressive forces world As Diaz intense Increasngly theoreti I began uncomfortable I wonere I suppose scheme thlngs As theory tself efnltlon Revolutionary Morallty I questone pplcaton Soviet Unlon Estern Europe where wtnesses contradictions Daz sayog Nevertheless there reasoo ebate I I concerne about Task I suppose accept order explate moral II I1 I unerstan saying I But wrltng truth Is revolutooary Just telllng truth Thats revolutlonary Perhaps Stll think prove CIA accept commen For subjectlve hooesty normally enough Wrtog normally We something above somethlng objectively emonstrates which really Only objectively Revolution after emonstratlng worthy calle Revolutionary Received New York September