Blas Roca Calderio
Encyclopedia
Blas Roca Calderio was the First President of the National Assembly of People's Power in Cuba
, former head of the Communist Party of Cuba
, editor of the communist newspaper 'Hoy', and influential member of Castro's government, in Santa Clara
, August 1962.
who led Cuba's prerevolutionary Communist Party, left school at the age of 11 and began shining shoes to help support his poor family. He changed his name to Roca, meaning 'rock', after he joined the Communist Party in 1929.
1929, was elected Secretary General of the Union of Shoemakers of Manzanillo. In August 1931 he was co-opted to the Central Committee
of the Communist Party and head of his organization in the East. During this stage displayed a wide journalistic activity in the labor press and led the popular protests that culminated in the historic general strike of August 1933, which overthrew the Machado
dictatorship.
Blas had grown remarkably in a few years as result of their own ability and intensive blanks in the struggles workers' and popular and was called to the capital at the times that the party needed a strong and guiding direction, more so when the leader of the moment Ruben Martinez Villena, would make his last public appearance in September 1933, at Mella fire's remains, to never recover their lamentable condition. Thus, at 26 years of age, Blas had become the leader of the Communists Cubans.
Under his leadership, the party met their duty in exemplary internationalist with the Spanish Republic
, with a formidable campaign that included not only moral and material assistance but also sending about a thousand combatants to the International Brigades
.
In 1938, also as a result of heavy fighting, an appropriate tactics and a favorable international situation, the Communist Party agrees to the legality and the name of Blas Roca is inserted permanently in the national political developments. That was more hated than ever by the bourgeoisie
and the imperialism. The reactionary press has intensified his attacks on the Communist leader, accusing him of unpatriotic and anti-nationalist.
However, the workers mobilized conducted in legality, unit with progressive sectors of national life and the revolutionary propaganda, to force a call to Free and sovereign Constituent Assembly for which they were Communists elected delegates, including Blas Roca, and approval of the 1940 Constitution, which are embodied many progressive provisions.
Since the legality of the party maintained a full-Bias support to the unity of the working class and all national sectors struggle for genuine economic and political independence of the country. Along with Lazaro Pena and Jesus Menendez, prominent leaders workers they helped form, built a central union which united all the streams of the working class and the designed with a revolutionary sense of class.
With the coup of 10 March 1952, which is opposed from the Initially, and on 26 July 1953, which starts a new stage of struggle in the history of Cuba, the Communist Party returns underground, not removed until 1959.
Roca also served from 1976 through 1981 as president of the National Assembly of Popular Power.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, former head of the Communist Party of Cuba
Popular Socialist Party (Cuba)
The Popular Socialist Party was a communist party in Cuba. Originally called the Communist Party of Cuba , it was formed in the 1925 by a group including Blas Roca, Anibal Escalante, Fabio Grobart and Julio Antonio Mella, who acted as its leader until his assassination in Mexico in 1929. It was...
, editor of the communist newspaper 'Hoy', and influential member of Castro's government, in Santa Clara
Santa Clara, Cuba
Santa Clara is the capital city of the Cuban province of Villa Clara. It is located in the most central region of the province and almost in the most central region of the country.- History :Santa Clara was founded by 175 people on July 15th, 1689...
, August 1962.
Political life
Blas Roca, a leading theoretician of the Cuban RevolutionCuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
who led Cuba's prerevolutionary Communist Party, left school at the age of 11 and began shining shoes to help support his poor family. He changed his name to Roca, meaning 'rock', after he joined the Communist Party in 1929.
1929, was elected Secretary General of the Union of Shoemakers of Manzanillo. In August 1931 he was co-opted to the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the Communist Party and head of his organization in the East. During this stage displayed a wide journalistic activity in the labor press and led the popular protests that culminated in the historic general strike of August 1933, which overthrew the Machado
Machado
-People:*Alicia Machado, Venezuelan Miss Universe*Staney Machado, RN Podar Physical Education Teacher*Anderson Machado, United States baseball player*Antonio Machado, Spanish poet*Bernardino Machado, Portuguese statesman...
dictatorship.
Blas had grown remarkably in a few years as result of their own ability and intensive blanks in the struggles workers' and popular and was called to the capital at the times that the party needed a strong and guiding direction, more so when the leader of the moment Ruben Martinez Villena, would make his last public appearance in September 1933, at Mella fire's remains, to never recover their lamentable condition. Thus, at 26 years of age, Blas had become the leader of the Communists Cubans.
Under his leadership, the party met their duty in exemplary internationalist with the Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
, with a formidable campaign that included not only moral and material assistance but also sending about a thousand combatants to the International Brigades
International Brigades
The International Brigades were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to defend the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939....
.
In 1938, also as a result of heavy fighting, an appropriate tactics and a favorable international situation, the Communist Party agrees to the legality and the name of Blas Roca is inserted permanently in the national political developments. That was more hated than ever by the bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
and the imperialism. The reactionary press has intensified his attacks on the Communist leader, accusing him of unpatriotic and anti-nationalist.
However, the workers mobilized conducted in legality, unit with progressive sectors of national life and the revolutionary propaganda, to force a call to Free and sovereign Constituent Assembly for which they were Communists elected delegates, including Blas Roca, and approval of the 1940 Constitution, which are embodied many progressive provisions.
Since the legality of the party maintained a full-Bias support to the unity of the working class and all national sectors struggle for genuine economic and political independence of the country. Along with Lazaro Pena and Jesus Menendez, prominent leaders workers they helped form, built a central union which united all the streams of the working class and the designed with a revolutionary sense of class.
With the coup of 10 March 1952, which is opposed from the Initially, and on 26 July 1953, which starts a new stage of struggle in the history of Cuba, the Communist Party returns underground, not removed until 1959.
Roca also served from 1976 through 1981 as president of the National Assembly of Popular Power.
Books
Mr. Roca published numerous books, articles and pamphlets before and after the revolution, including The Fundamentals of Socialism in Cuba.External links
- http://www.cubafreepress.org/art/cubap990305d.html
- http://bvirtual.idict.cu/eng/estructura.htm
- http://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/27/obituaries/blas-roca-cuban-communist-and-party-theoretician-dies.html