Vilma Espin - The First Lady Of The Cuban Revolution

">declared legal and the "Marxist Education" has
Different from the People's Republic of China and thereceived emphasis in the schools, Institutes,
Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Vilma Espin Guilloys isacademies and universities.
the only Cuban woman that has participated inMs Espin has carried out major diplomatic missions on
government affairs in Cuba. She has been describedbehalf of the Cuban dictatorship. She was selected
as the most powerful woman in the Cubanby Soviet World to become anti-American activist in
Revolution. Little information has been published in thethe United Nations World Conferences on Women (
international press about her life. Early reportsMexico-75, Denmark-80 and Kenya-85).After Cuban
indicated that her health has declined since 2000.government broke off diplomatic relations with Chile,
She was member of the Cuban aristocratic in theVilma Espin became an outspoken critic of Chilean
1940s and 1950s. Her father was vice-director of thedictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte. Certainly, she won
Bacardi Run Company. She speaks Spanish and Englishpopularity in the Socialist Universe. From 1960 to
very well. Her mother's French ancestry. Vilma enjoy1990, she went to the USSR, East Germany, Bulgaria,
reading and watching sports. Like member of Castro'sHungary, Czechoslovakia and other nations. As First
family, she lives in luxurious residences. She is famousLady of the Cuban revolution, she established good
because is wife of Raul Castro, brother of Fidelrelations with the Third World states.
Alejandro Castro Ruz. Currently Raul Castro is actingIn 1976, she introduced "The Family Code", a project
president of Cuba. Furthermore, he is firstabout the social equality between men and women in
Vice-President of the Council of State, Vice-Presidentthe Island. Ironically, internationals reports which Cuba
of the Council of Ministers, Vice-Secretary of thehas the lowest proportion of ministers and
Politburu and the Central Committee of Communistcongresswoman in its government, exceeded by
Party of Cuba.Liberia, Seychelles and Mozambique.
After completing her education as chemicalShe is an outspoken critic of capitalist society, but
engineering in her country, she went to the Unitedthe prostitution is growing in the Island. For many
States to attend at the Massachusetts Institute ofopportunities, Cuba has been compared to Thailand.
Technology, one of the best engineering schools inthe prostitution contributes more income to Cuba's
the United States. During the civil war she returnedeconomy.
to La Havana. Vilma had known Raul Castro whenVilma Espin de Castro has been called "the facto First
she was leader of the Cuban Women's Movement. InLady of Cuban revolution because she is not Fidel's
1959, guerrilla forces captured Havana city, thewife. Certainly, Dalia Soto del Valle is the real First
Cuba's capital. Batista regime was deposed by Fidellady of the Cuban Revolution because she is married
Castro.with Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz since the 1980s.
During the Cold War, Fidel Alejandro Ruz is asREFERENCES:
dictatorial as his predecessor. The country's politics is-Bourne, Peter. Fidel: A Biography of Fidel Castro,
gradually dominated by Castro Ruz family. The newDodd Mcad, New York, 1986.
dictator maintained control over the population-García, Magali. "Recorre Consuelo
thought his secret police organization. Castro regimeGonzáles de Velasco, en
became notorious for human rights violation andcompañía del Comandante Fidel Castro,
anti-American politics. Since 1961, the Island emergedla Escuela Secundaria Básica en el campo
as the first Socialist State in Latin America. AfterBatalla del Jique de La Habana, Granma, La habana, 25
Vilma Espin made herself President of the Cubande febrero de 1973
Women's Federation (FMC) and she assumed full-Gasparini, Juan. Mujeres de Dictadores, Ediciones
control of the Cuban woman.Península, Barcelona, 2002
Like Maria Lucia Hiriart de Pinochet (former First Lady-Granma. Discurso de Vilma Espín : A las
of Chile: 1973-1990), Alicia Raquel Hartridge de Videlamujeres chilenas, hermanas de lucha en la causa
(ex- First Lady of Argentina: 1976-1981) and Imeldaantiimperialista, les reiteramos desde este combativo
Remedios Visitacion Romualdez Marcos (ex- Firstacto de solidaridad firme e inquebrantable de las
Lady of Philippines: 1965-1986), Vilma Espinmujeres cubanas, La Habana, 17 de septiembre de
cooperated with one of the six worst dictatorships in1973
the World. After Cuba became Socialist Republic,-----------"23 de Agosto, 17° Aniversario de la
Soviet Bloc economic and military aid to RevolutionFederación de Mujeres Cubanas", La Habana,
Cuba's increased. Ms. Espin immediately began a4 de septiembre de 1977
number of reforms, including human development-----------"Intervención de Vilma Espín,
programs and sporting projects. She built manyPresidenta de la Federación de Mujeres
schools, hospitals, museums, libraries, and stadiums.Cubanas", La Habana, 23 de septiembre de 1976
But she support human rights abuses by national-Grogg, Patricia. "Debora", Cuba Internacional, La
government.Habana, diciembre de 1988
During the 1960s and 1970s Cuban intellectuals, as-Guevara Onofre, Alejandro. Historia de la Mujer de
Lezama Lima, Heberto Padilla, Guillermo Cabreralos Estados Unidos, Cecosami, Lima, 2002
Infante, and Reynaldo arenas, called for more-Informe sobre Desarrollo Humano 1995:
freedom of expression and many women renewedGénero y Desarrollo Humano, PNUD, Nueva
their efforts to gain recognition for human rights.York, 1995
Certainly, strict control of the lives of the families-Rodríguez Calderón, Mirta.
emerged. Under her leadership, the abortion was