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Political work must be felt
Yuniasky Crespo Baquero, 35, after having had multiple responsibilities
since the earliest stages of her life, just a few days ago was appointed
first secretary of the Cuban Youn Communist League at the national level .
By Alina Perera
September 29, 2012 19:52:58 CDT
A CubaNews translation by Abel González
Alayón.
Edited by Walter Lippmann.
Perhaps the history of humankind, her island, and her dear native
province of Las Tunas, which she has gladly scrutinized, has given
Yuniasky Crespo Baquero the aplomb born of knowing that life is an
undivided and without pause line, which we take and get off like
characters in which, if we are aware of being living a time, will do our
best.
Yuniasky confesses she looks ahead, without fear. In her eyes I think I
find the idea of
a
great Cuban poet: here nothing has happened, it is nothing more than
life. And so, understanding that there are events that you have to
assume naturally, she has just taken on the responsibility of being
first secretary of the Youth Communists League (UJC) at country level.
When she arrived in the hall where this interview took place, her
presence is that of a rather serene woman, simple, with the typical gait
of a hard-working person. Minutes later, at some point, I asked her who
gave her that peculiar name, and she recalls that it was her father,
inspired by the universe of the Soviets.
"I guess I will learn it before the end of our dialogue” I make this bad
taste joke that doesn’t infuriate my interlocutor; quite the opposite:
she tells stories of how people have changed her identity whenever they
misspelled the name or have written "Mr." where it should say
"ma'am".
"I was born in the capital municipality of Las Tunas, on August 10,
1977," she says when I asked her to go back to the beginning, where
almost all keys of who we are lie. And smiling she recalls: "I
had
a nice childhood, I lived at my maternal grandmother’s; it was a period
when I was surrounded by many people who loved me. I was an only child
at the time, and I was always very fond of teaching. I learned how to
read early. I liked all that whole world of the classrooms"
-
So, you were teaching
imaginary students?
-My
mom and dad had a
bedroom outside the house,
and that was
the classroom that
I got ready.
There I
sat
the dolls,
and even
a dog named
Laica.
I had books and a
ruler that I occasionally
used to
scold.
In
the neighborhood there
weren’t many friends,
but there was one
I always
played teaching with
-You
did go to study teaching
(Bachelor
of Marxism-Leninism
and History), then
your choice
coincided
with a very early
vocation...
”Actually I had
much inclination
for sciences.
Since
I was studying in
junior high school,
when I began to
discover chemistry,
I told myself I wanted
to
be a chemical
or physical doctor.
When
it came time to
decide what to
study,
in
the very difficult days
of the special period,
there were
not many
choices:
in Las
Tunas
province you could study
medicine,
teaching and Agronomy.
Then
I chose
teaching,
because the only
student in my
municipality
applying for Chemistry
was me,
and
that specialty
had to
be studied in
Holguin,
something I did not do
because my
mother was sick
and
did not want to
get away from her.
"So I started
to
study history, an
universe
that I
had noticed
early,
but I
became interested
because
I had
a teacher
in
grade twelve
and then
he
taught me at
the university,
and
also thanks to the
vocation
of my
husband, who
was my
boyfriend
from my high school days, and
loved
to study
and learn about
historical events"
Anyway, you were lucky: you took a road you were looking for from your
childhood: that of teaching.
I studied history and have no regrets. I had excellent teachers, people
who today have PhD in teaching and have a Marxist background and a
philosophy, a quite realistic worldview. They definitely made
me
passionate about History. I graduated in 2000from Las Tunas Pedagogical
University.
-Interesting period: the discussions were intense in your university
world ...
-My time at the university was convulsive, a lot of movement of ideas,
and of various student activities. I was a member of the UJC since 1993,
when I was in tenth grade, and circumstances led me to assume
responsibilities in the Federation of University Students (FEU).
Moments of a career
"I've always liked things that have to do with the activities, and it
was easy for me among the pioneers to have some influence" recalls
Yuniasky Crespo.
"Back in tenth grade, since entering high school, I was elected
president of the Cuban Federation of High School Students (FEEM) of the
school. Then, although I had to change high schools for reasons peculiar
to the province (the school was turned into a polytechnic school), I was
elected president of the FEEM in the new school"
- Everything came natural to you?
-No impositions. Maybe it had to do with my dad being a party leader and
my mother of the National Association of Small Farmers (ANAP). I was
born into a family that always believed in taking a step forward.
"By the time I was in twelfth grade I was a member of the UJC
Secretariat of the school. And there begins the story of the positions
in the UJC: I assumed endorsement processes, issues having to do with
the inner workings of the organization, and when I got to the first year
of university I was secretary of a grassroots committee. While in second
year I made it to the UJC Secretariat of the Pedagogical University.
"During my third year it was the time to take responsibility as
president of the Federation of University Students (FEU). It was a nice
period that I remember fondly. And by my fourth year I became part of
the National Secretariat of the FEU. That was from 1998 to 2002, when I
go to the University of Las Tunas as a professional base secretary.
"The following year, 2003, I became a member of the Las Tunas
municipality UJC politburo. There I look over the educational sphere. It
was a task I did willingly and comfortably, because it had a lot to do
with my career. "
Try yourself in your profession
The V Plenum of the UJC National Committee, held in 2007, was a
particularly important meeting for Yuniasky. From there decisions and
experiences came off that have been paramount in the life of the Las
Tunas leader.
She came to the meeting with her experience as a student and youth
leader that had increased in recent times: in 2004 she had begun to
serve as first secretary of the Las Tunas municipality, and in 2005 she
was elected member of the National Committee of the UJC.
"That plenary discussed, among other topics, the previous working life
of the youth and student leaders. I was first secretary of the Youth in
the main municipality of Las Tunas, and I had the responsibility of
explaining my experience in the plenary, and to communicate the
understanding that we had about the need to work on the base, of trying
ourselves in what we had studied.
"While studying at the Pedagogical I thought I would teach history
classes in a little elementary school, or a high school, or wherever
necessary. In the V Plenary it was agreed that all youth leaders that
had not worked in the profession we had studied, to do it.
“A year later, 2008, I had my son Adolfo, and in 2009 I started teaching
Cuban History in the Exact Sciences Senior High School in my province,
teaching twelfth grade. That was a big challenge; I had to do a lot of
self-preparation, because though I had the theoretical knowledge, I was
lacking the methodological skills”
“Luckily I had a very supporting staff; that let me in with open arms.
The students had a high level, and knowing this I prepared myself, and I
learnt a lot!
“On that regard I must say that the leadership of the Revolution always
teaches us great lessons. I didn’t fully comprehend the importance of
getting to work in your profession, even for what it gives you in the
personal level. You are a better human being afterwards”
“It has great value to be around professors, among the students, knowing
how a group think, that the kids call you “profe” (shortening for
professor) this is in fashion now” It was a two and half year long
experience and when I finished I undertook the mission, in 2011, of
leading the Youth Provincial Committee in las Tunas, a responsibility I
have undertaken till this moment”
An unavoidable question emerges in this part of the conversation: what
should a person with responsibilities in front a human group be like?
“We could mention many qualities, she says, but the first, in my
opinion, is the capacity of leading by example. If you are exemplary,
people will follow you. Things must be done the right way, everyday,
systematically. It is something that pays off. Those who lead people
must have deeply-rooted values, not values you create on the way”
Regarding Cuban history; what personalities, events or epochs you do you
like to go over the most?
Cuba’s history is very rich. From the very formation of the nationality.
You can enjoy all epochs, all the processes that you know don’t happen
isolated, but in permanent concatenation. But if you tell me to choose
one, I have to mention the first years of the 1950s till the Revolution
Triumph.
“And, why do I say that? There are moments in history where you get to
the top of the formation of generations that have taken steps, in which
there is a consolidation in the formation of a revolutionary awareness,
and I think that time was decisive in the creation of a patriotic
awareness, if the revolutionary awareness in the people.”
“When I was teaching that time it was like I was living in them. It is
very moving the stage of preparation for the attack to the Moncada
Garrison; and there is a book by Commander of the Revolution Juan
Almeida Bosque that I am very fond of and that I would include in the
bibliography to teach Cuban History: “!Adelante! !Recuento!” (Forward!
Looking back!)
“It is true that it is not in the bibliography, but I have kept sharing
with my students a book like this, because Commander Almeida took you so
much into reality, that my students used to weep with me, they got
moved”
-There is in that book, that I really enjoyed reading, a phrase about
death. His author says that men must get ready to know how to fall like
trees do…
-On their feet…it is a great phrase. Just recently Granma newspaper
published stories and anecdotes by commander in Chief Fidel Castro
regarding that assault. I like very much the gesture doctor and
combatant Mario Muñoz who, on his birthday, July 26th tells Fidel he
leaves his 41 years in the hands of the leader who was only 26. Those
are lovely moments that should be known.
-History must be told as we tell life…
-I liked to live that life I was teaching, and every time I could I
related it with that of the community, with the one in Las Tunas, that
is very rich. I didn’t teach the Ten Year War without mentioning Vicente
Garcia, with all his qualities and mistakes, and when I spoke of the
first conspiracy meeting I took the students to San Miguel del Rompe in
my hometown. If you don’t teach History like that, they learn something
cold, and that is something we don’t want. It is necessary to pass on
knowledge but also feelings. Taking the two things at the same time we
create values like patriotism and anti-imperialism, which are so
important for the new generations.
-For what I understand, what you studied gave you the certainty that
political work, if doesn’t entail feelings, won’t be effective…
-Political work must be felt. And within it, the most important thing is
to make sense of every task. If you can’t find the logic in what you do,
if you can’t find a coherent idea, a reason, a why, you won’t be
effective. If you find the why, you will be able to convince people, you
will make people get involved and do their tasks. If somehow people feel
the political work is the imposition of tasks and missions, you won’t
achieve anything, because people must feel that the tasks are not
assigned for the sake of it, but that they are coherent.
-What worries you the most about Cuba at present?
-That´s a well-thought question, because includes so many others within.
I think it has to do with the responsible assimilation by the new
generations that this historic process we are living is must be
preserved. It is an element that I think it is of great importance that
the youngsters don’t think the Revolution is here because it is our fate
and that’s the end of it, but that we must defend it, look after it
everyday.
“The Revolution is a living entity you have to feed. And little by
little, with work. But with systematic work, not guesses. A personalized
work, aiming at people. We can’t think that what was achieved will stay
like that just because, as a divine right and not because we fight for
it.
“We have to continue explaining the virtues and good things our
Revolution has, for people to have the perception that if we don’t
protect it, we are taking the risk of losing everything because the
counterrevolution is stalking us everyday, because we, the youngsters,
are a target for it. That’s what worries me the most”
-Regarding the youth, such heterogonous and complex sector, what are the
challenges that in your opinion that sector has at a society level?
-There are many challenges we must face. We are not enclosed in a glass;
we receive all kind of influences. We are being bombarded with other
cultures and we must face that, but in a smart and natural way, working.
We are exposed to things that have to do with globalization. There are
several scenarios we didn’t have two, three years ago, like the one
conditioned by new technologies. And there are these new elements that
are being introduced in our economy, which we need to explain,
especially to our youth.
“Before, we only had the television, the radio and the printed press.
Today a piece of news reaches the public much faster through other ways
than what our national media outlets can; that’s a new reality we have
been getting used to in the past 5-6 years. I think we need to be aware
of those elements but not to run away from those challenges, quite the
opposite: new technologies, for example, have to be used to do well, in
our interests, for our policies, in favour of the youngsters, of what
our Revolution wants”
-I have the perception that many of our young people are not reading
enough, which implies a huge cultural and political challenge…
-that is an undeniable fact, that we have to face, but obviously we will
have to do other things in order to provide them with other attractions
to feed the spirit. We will have to look for other offers through the
press and our books, creating messages for all age groups. We have to
look for and find the way, with a wide, creative language.
-In today’s´ Cuba, which is living extremely complex times, the UJC as a
political organization has ahead, as society itself, multiple and bog
tasks…
-The organization has many challenges. The first is to have among its
members the best of the best, and that our militants will be a mirror
for the rest of the youngsters, and that our youth want to be like our
militants. Out of that leadership condition will come out the things UJC
does on daily basis, as the growing work, that our youth vanguard
organization will be the true relay of our Party, because if we lose the
Party we will lose the Revolution.
“Youth must have that idea, that perception that by preserving our
organization, keeping it, we will be giving continuity to the
Revolution”
-How do you personally assume that new task?
-Leading Cuban youngsters is a great responsibility because we must keep
into account every aspiration, their characteristics, from children to
the least young among youngsters. I think that is an element we must
take on nowadays.
“And we, at a personal level, will have to keep working to instil a
spirit of preparation in people, especially in those responsible of
leading people from the grassroots organizations to the national level”
-It will be important to choose wisely, identify the best suited among
the vanguard…
-It is important to have leaders within the organization, people that
truly draw others, without any fanfare, the great stages, the massive
meetings, or large crowds, though all that will be necessary at certain
point, but there will times too, the most of them, where we have to
address the individual and its peculiarities, the convincing of people,
and you can only do that with the best prepared people.
-What would a History teacher be able to say about what we are living in
Cuba now?
- A History teacher, if it is about today’s Cuba, will have to tackle
many things: the changes, the updating of our economy model. He will
have to say that this time had is characteristics. Thirty years from now
we will be thinking that youngsters of that time need special attention,
because they will have other standards, will think differently, the
world obviously wont be the same, technology will be more advanced. It
will be another stage of the Revolution because it will be older, and it
will be as we have been able to make and defend, in which we will talk
of our historical leaders, who are going to be present as long as
history itself lasts.
“A year later, 2008, I had my son Adolfo, and in 2009 I started teaching
Cuban History in the Exact Sciences Senior High School in my province,
teaching twelfth grade. That was a big challenge; I had to do a lot of
self-preparation, because though I had the theoretical knowledge, I was
lacking the methodological skills”
“Luckily I had a very supporting staff; that let me in with open arms.
The students had a high level, and knowing this I prepared myself, and I
learnt a lot!
“On that regard I must say that the leadership of the Revolution always
teaches us great lessons. I didn’t fully comprehend the importance of
getting to work in your profession, even for what it gives you in the
personal level. You are a better human being afterwards”
“It has great value to be around professors, among the students, knowing
how a group think, that the kids call you “profe” (shortening for
professor) this is in fashion now” It was a two and half year long
experience and when I finished I undertook the mission, in 2011, of
leading the Youth Provincial Committee in las Tunas, a responsibility I
have undertaken till this moment”
An unavoidable question emerges in this part of the conversation: what
should a person with responsibilities in front a human group be like?
“We could mention many qualities, she says, but the first, in my
opinion, is the capacity of leading by example. If you are exemplary,
people will follow you. Things must be done the right way, everyday,
systematically. It is something that pays off. Those who lead people
must have deeply-rooted values, not values you create on the way”
Regarding Cuban history; what personalities, events or epochs you do you
like to go over the most?
Cuba’s history is very rich. From the very formation of the nationality.
You can enjoy all epochs, all the processes that you know don’t happen
isolated, but in permanent concatenation. But if you tell me to choose
one, I have to mention the first years of the 1950s till the Revolution
Triumph.
“And, why do I say that? There are moments in history where you get to
the top of the formation of generations that have taken steps, in which
there is a consolidation in the formation of a revolutionary awareness,
and I think that time was decisive in the creation of a patriotic
awareness, if the revolutionary awareness in the people.”
“When I was teaching that time it was like I was living in them. It is
very moving the stage of preparation for the attack to the Moncada
Garrison; and there is a book by Commander of the Revolution Juan
Almeida Bosque that I am very fond of and that I would include in the
bibliography to teach Cuban History: “!Adelante! !Recuento!” (Forward!
Looking back!)
“It is true that it is not in the bibliography, but I have kept sharing
with my students a book like this, because Commander Almeida took you so
much into reality, that my students used to weep with me, they got
moved”
-There is in that book, that I really enjoyed reading, a phrase about
death. His author says that men must get ready to know how to fall like
trees do…
-On their feet…it is a great phrase. Just recently Granma newspaper
published stories and anecdotes by commander in Chief Fidel Castro
regarding that assault. I like very much the gesture doctor and
combatant Mario Muñoz who, on his birthday, July 26th tells
Fidel he leaves his 41 years in the hands of the leader who was only 26.
Those are lovely moments that should be known.
-History must be told as we tell life…
-I liked to live that life I was teaching, and every time I could I
related it with that of the community, with the one in Las Tunas, that
is very rich. I didn’t teach the Ten Year War without mentioning Vicente
Garcia, with all his qualities and mistakes, and when I spoke of the
first conspiracy meeting I took the students to San Miguel del Rompe in
my hometown. If you don’t teach History like that, they learn something
cold, and that is something we don’t want. It is necessary to pass on
knowledge but also feelings. Taking the two things at the same time we
create values like patriotism and anti-imperialism, which are so
important for the new generations.
-For what I understand, what you studied gave you the certainty that
political work, if doesn’t entail feelings, won’t be effective…
-Political work must be felt. And within it, the most important thing is
to make sense of every task. If you can’t find the logic in what you do,
if you can’t find a coherent idea, a reason, a why, you won’t be
effective. If you find the why, you will be able to convince people, you
will make people get involved and do their tasks. If somehow people feel
the political work is the imposition of tasks and missions, you won’t
achieve anything, because people must feel that the tasks are not
assigned for the sake of it, but that they are coherent.
-What worries you the most about Cuba at present?
-That´s a well-thought question, because includes so many others within.
I think it has to do with the responsible assimilation by the new
generations that this historic process we are living is must be
preserved. It is an element that I think it is of great importance that
the youngsters don’t think the Revolution is here because it is our fate
and that’s the end of it, but that we must defend it, look after it
everyday.
“The Revolution is a living entity you have to feed. And little by
little, with work. But with systematic work, not guesses. A personalized
work, aiming at people. We can’t think that what was achieved will stay
like that just because, as a divine right and not because we fight for
it.
“We have to continue explaining the virtues and good things our
Revolution has, for people to have the perception that if we don’t
protect it, we are taking the risk of losing everything because the
counterrevolution is stalking us everyday, because we, the youngsters,
are a target for it. That’s what worries me the most”
-Regarding the youth, such heterogonous and complex sector, what are the
challenges that in your opinion that sector has at a society level?
-There are many challenges we must face. We are not enclosed in a glass;
we receive all kind of influences. We are being bombarded with other
cultures and we must face that, but in a smart and natural way, working.
We are exposed to things that have to do with globalization. There are
several scenarios we didn’t have two, three years ago, like the one
conditioned by new technologies. And there are these new elements that
are being introduced in our economy, which we need to explain,
especially to our youth.
“Before, we only had the television, the radio and the printed press.
Today a piece of news reaches the public much faster through other ways
than what our national media outlets can; that’s a new reality we have
been getting used to in the past 5-6 years. I think we need to be aware
of those elements but not to run away from those challenges, quite the
opposite: new technologies, for example, have to be used to do well, in
our interests, for our policies, in favour of the youngsters, of what
our Revolution wants”
-I have the perception that many of our young people are not reading
enough, which implies a huge cultural and political challenge…
-that is an undeniable fact, that we have to face, but obviously we will
have to do other things in order to provide them with other attractions
to feed the spirit. We will have to look for other offers through the
press and our books, creating messages for all age groups. We have to
look for and find the way, with a wide, creative language.
-In today’s´ Cuba, which is living extremely complex times, the UJC as a
political organization has ahead, as society itself, multiple and bog
tasks…
-The organization has many challenges. The first is to have among its
members the best of the best, and that our militants will be a mirror
for the rest of the youngsters, and that our youth want to be like our
militants. Out of that leadership condition will come out the things UJC
does on daily basis, as the growing work, that our youth vanguard
organization will be the true relay of our Party, because if we lose the
Party we will lose the Revolution.
“Youth must have that idea, that perception that by preserving our
organization, keeping it, we will be giving continuity to the
Revolution”
-How do you personally assume that new task?
-Leading Cuban youngsters is a great responsibility because we must
keep into account every aspiration, their characteristics, from children
to the least young among youngsters. I think that is an element we must
take on nowadays.
“And we, at a personal level, will have to keep working to instil a
spirit of preparation in people, especially in those responsible of
leading people from the grassroots organizations to the national level”
-It will be important to choose wisely, identify the best suited among
the vanguard…
-It is important to have leaders within the organization, people that
truly draw others, without any fanfare, the great stages, the massive
meetings, or large crowds, though all that will be necessary at certain
point, but there will times too, the most of them, where we have to
address the individual and its peculiarities, the convincing of people,
and you can only do that with the best prepared people.
-What would a History teacher be able to say about what we are living in
Cuba now?
A History teacher, if it is about today’s Cuba, will have to tackle many
things: the changes, the updating of our economy model. He will have to
say that this time had is characteristics. Thirty years from now we will
be thinking that youngsters of that time need special attention, because
they will have other standards, will think differently, the world
obviously wont be the same, technology will be more advanced. It will be
another stage of the Revolution because it will be older, and it will be
as we have been able to make and defend, in which we will talk of our
historical leaders, who are going to be present as long as history
itself lasts.
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El trabajo político hay que
sentirlo
Yuniasky Crespo Baquero, de 35 años de edad, tras haber tenido múltiples
responsabilidades desde las etapas más tempranas de su vida, asumió hace
solo días la de primera secretaria de la Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas a
nivel nacional
Alina Perera
perera@juventudrebelde.cu
29 de Septiembre del 2012 19:52:58 CDT
Tal vez la historia de la humanidad, de su Isla, y de su querida y natal
provincia de Las Tunas, hilos en los que ha escudriñado con gusto, han
dado a Yuniasky Crespo Baquero el aplomo nacido de saber que la vida es
línea sin divisiones ni pausas, a la cual subimos y de la cual
descendemos como personajes que, si tenemos conciencia de estar
habitando una época, daremos lo mejor de nosotros.
Yuniasky confiesa mirar hacia delante, sin temor. En sus ojos creo
encontrar la idea de un gran poeta cubano: aquí no ha pasado nada; no es
más que la vida. Y así, entendiendo que hay sucesos que se asumen de
modo natural, ella recién ha tomado la responsabilidad como primera
secretaria de la Unión de Jóvenes Comunistas (UJC) a nivel de país.
Cuando llegó al salón fue donde tuvo lugar esta entrevista, su presencia
es la de una mujer más bien serena, sencilla, con el típico paso de
quien está acostumbrada a trabajar duro. Minutos después, en algún
momento le pregunto quién le puso un nombre tan peculiar, y ella
recuerda que fue su padre, inspirado por el universo de los soviéticos.
«Supongo que me lo aprenda antes de terminar nuestro diálogo», lanzo esa
broma pesada que no crispa a mi interlocutora sino todo lo contrario:
cuenta anécdotas de cómo le han trocado la identidad cada vez que le han
cambiado alguna letra del nombre o le han puesto «señor» donde debía
decir «señora».
«Nací en el municipio cabecera de Las Tunas, el 10 de agosto de 1977»,
me dice cuando le pido se remonte a sus comienzos, allí donde están casi
todas las claves de quiénes somos. Y rememora risueña: «tuve una
infancia bonita, viví en casa de mi abuela materna, fue una etapa
rodeada de mucha gente que me quería. Era hija única en ese entonces, y
siempre fui muy aficionada a dar clases. Aprendí a leer tempranito. Todo
ese mundo del aula me gustaba mucho».
—¿Dabas clases a estudiantes imaginarios?
—Mi mamá y mi papá tenían un cuarto un poco apartado en la casa, y esa
era el aula que yo preparaba. Allí sentaba a los muñecos, y hasta una
perrita llamada Laica. Tenía libros y una regla que de vez en cuando
servía para regañar. En el barrio no había muchos amiguitos, pero había
una con la que siempre jugaba a enseñar.
—Si cursaste una carrera pedagógica (Licenciatura en Marxismo-Leninismo
e Historia), entonces coincidió tu elección con una vocación muy
temprana…
—En realidad sentía mucha inclinación por las ciencias. Desde que
estudiaba en la Secundaria Básica, cuando comencé a descubrir la
Química, me dije que quería ser química o física. Cuando llegó el
momento de decidir qué estudiaría, en días muy difíciles del período
especial, no eran muchas las ofertas: en Las Tunas se estudiaba
Medicina, carreras pedagógicas y Agronomía. Entonces escogí carreras
pedagógicas, porque la única de mi municipio que pedía Química era yo, y
esa especialidad tenía que cursarla en Holguín, algo que no hice pues mi
madre estaba enferma y no quería alejarme de ella.
«Así fue como empecé a estudiar Historia, universo que no me había
llamado la atención desde temprano, pero que me empezó a interesar
gracias a un profesor que tuve en grado doce y que después me impartió
clases en la universidad, y también gracias a la vocación de mi esposo,
quien era mi novio en los días del preuniversitario y adoraba estudiar y
conocer sobre sucesos históricos».
—De todos modos fuiste afortunada: tomaste un camino que ya buscabas
desde los días de la infancia: el del magisterio.
—Estudié Historia y no me arrepiento. Tuve excelentes profesores,
personas que hoy son doctores en ciencias pedagógicas y tienen una
formación marxista y una filosofía, una concepción del mundo bastante
realista. Ellos hicieron que me apasionara definitivamente por la
Historia. Me gradué en el año 2000, en el Pedagógico de Las Tunas.
—Interesante período: los debates eran intensos en tu ámbito
universitario…
—La etapa universitaria fue convulsa, de mucho movimiento de ideas, y de
diversas actividades estudiantiles. Yo era militante de la UJC desde
1993, cuando estaba en décimo grado, y las circunstancias me llevaron a
asumir responsabilidades en la Federación Estudiantil Universitaria (FEU).
Momentos de una trayectoria
«Siempre me han gustado mucho las cosas que tienen que ver con las
actividades, y me era fácil, en el colectivo pioneril, tener alguna
ascendencia», recuerda Yuniasky Crespo.
«Ya en décimo grado, desde que entro al preuniversitario, me eligen
presidenta de la Federación de Estudiantes de la Enseñanza Media (FEEM)
del centro. Después, aunque tuve que cambiar de preuniversitario por
cuestiones propias de la provincia (convirtieron la escuela en un
politécnico), fui elegida presidenta de la FEEM en el nuevo centro».
—¿Todo se daba de modo natural?
—Sin imposiciones. Tal vez tuviera que ver con que mi papá era dirigente
del Partido y mi mamá de la Asociación Nacional de Agricultores Pequeños
(ANAP). Nací en una familia donde se hablaba siempre de dar el paso al
frente.
«A la altura de doce grado era miembro del Comité UJC del centro. Y ahí
empieza la historia de los cargos en la Juventud: asumí procesos de
aval, asuntos que tenían que ver con el funcionamiento interno de la
organización, y cuando llegué al primer año de la carrera fui secretaria
de un comité de base. Estando en segundo integré el Comité de la
Juventud del Pedagógico.
«Tercer año fue el momento de asumir la responsabilidad como presidenta
de la FEU del centro. Fue una etapa linda, que recuerdo con mucho
cariño. Y a la altura del cuarto año de la carrera paso a integrar el
Secretariado Nacional de la FEU, donde estuve desde 1998 hasta el 2002,
año en que voy a la Universidad de Las Tunas como secretaria profesional
de base.
«Al año siguiente, en el 2003, paso a ser miembro del Buró de la
Juventud del municipio cabecera de mi provincia. Allí atiendo la esfera
educacional. Fue una tarea que realicé gustosa y cómodamente, porque
tenía mucho que ver con mi carrera».
Probarse en la profesión
El V Pleno del Comité Nacional de la UJC, celebrado en el año 2007,
representó un encuentro de especial trascendencia para Yuniasky. De allí
se desprendieron decisiones y vivencias que para la dirigente tunera han
sido cardinales.
Ella llegó a la reunión con una experiencia como dirigente estudiantil y
juvenil que se había acrecentado en tiempos recientes: en el año 2004
había comenzado a desempeñarse como primera secretaria del municipio
cabecera de la provincia de Las Tunas, y en el 2005 había sido electa
como miembro del Comité Nacional de la Juventud Comunista.
«Aquel Pleno —evoca la Primera Secretaria de la UJC— analizó, entre
otros temas, el de la vinculación laboral previa de los dirigentes
juveniles y estudiantiles. Yo era primera secretaria de la Juventud en
el municipio cabecera de Las Tunas, y tuve la responsabilidad de
explicar mi experiencia en el Pleno, y de comunicar el entendimiento que
teníamos nosotros sobre la necesidad de trabajar en la base, de
probarnos en lo que habíamos estudiado.
«Mientras cursaba estudios en el Pedagógico pensé que impartiría clases
de Historia en una escuelita primaria, o en un preuniversitario, o donde
hiciera falta. En el V Pleno se acordó que todos los dirigentes
juveniles que no habíamos ejercido antes la profesión para la que
habíamos estudiado, lo hiciéramos.
«Un año después, en el 2008, tuve a mi hijo Adolfo, y en el 2009 me
incorporé a impartir clases de Historia de Cuba en el Preuniversitario
de Ciencias Exactas de la provincia, en el grado doce. Ese fue un reto
importante; me tuve que imponer mucha autopreparación, porque, aunque
tenía ganada la parte teórica, estaba pendiente la arista metodológica.
«Afortunadamente conté con un colectivo que me apoyó, que me recibió con
los brazos abiertos. Los estudiantes tenían un nivel alto, y conociendo
eso me preparé, y aprendí mucho.
«Sobre este tema hay que decir que la dirección de la Revolución nos da
siempre lecciones grandes. No tenía yo la comprensión exacta de la
trascendencia que tenía vincularse a la profesión, por lo que aporta
incluso en el plano personal. Uno es mejor ser humano después.
«Tiene un gran valor estar entre los profesores, entre los estudiantes,
saber cómo piensa un colectivo, que los muchachos te digan: “profe, la
moda está así…”. Fue una vivencia de dos cursos y medio, y cuando
terminé asumí la misión, en el año 2011, de dirigir el Comité Provincial
de la Juventud en Las Tunas, responsabilidad que he ocupado hasta el
presente».
Una pregunta inevitable aflora en esta parte de la conversación: ¿cómo
debe ser alguien que ostente responsabilidades frente a un colectivo
humano?
«Habría que mencionar muchas cualidades —reflexiona Yuniasky—, pero la
primera, a mi entender, es la capacidad del ejemplo personal. Si tú eres
ejemplo, la gente te va a seguir. Las cosas deben hacerse bien,
cotidiana, sistemáticamente. Es algo que da frutos. Quien dirige debe
tener un grupo de valores muy arraigados, no valores que deban ser
construidos después sobre la marcha».
Vivir, sentir la historia
—De la historia de Cuba, ¿qué personalidades, sucesos o etapas son los
que más te gusta repasar?
—La historia de Cuba es muy rica. Así es desde la propia formación de la
nacionalidad. Se disfrutan todas las etapas, todos los procesos que ya
sabemos no se dan aisladamente sino en una concatenación permanente.
Pero si me das a escoger una etapa que me gusta repasar, menciono los
inicios de la década de los 50 del siglo XX, hasta el triunfo de la
Revolución.
«Y por qué digo esto: hay momentos de la historia en que se llega a la
cúspide de la formación de generaciones que han ido dando pasos, en que
hay una consolidación en la formación de la conciencia revolucionaria, y
creo que esa etapa fue decisiva para la elevación de la conciencia
patriótica, de la conciencia revolucionaria en el pueblo.
«A mí me pasaba que cuando impartía esos años era como si los estuviera
viviendo. Es conmovedora la etapa de preparación del asalto al Cuartel
Moncada; y hay un libro del Comandante Juan Almeida Bosque que a mí me
gusta mucho y que incluiría en la bibliografía para impartir las clases
de Historia de Cuba: ¡Atención! ¡Recuento!.
«Es verdad que no está en la bibliografía, pero no he dejado de
compartir con mis estudiantes un libro como ese, porque el Comandante
Almeida te llevaba tanto a la realidad, a lo que estaba pasando, que yo
hacía que los muchachos lloraran conmigo, se emocionaran».
—Hay en ese libro, que a mí me gustó mucho leer, una frase sobre la
muerte. Su autor dice que los hombres deben prepararse para saber caer
como lo hacen los árboles…
—«De pie…». Es una gran frase. Hace poco fueron apareciendo en el
periódico Granma pasajes y anécdotas del Comandante en Jefe Fidel
relacionados con el asalto. A mí me gusta mucho el gesto del médico y
asaltante Mario Muñoz, quien el día de su cumpleaños, el 26 de julio, le
dice a Fidel que pone sus 41 años en manos del líder que tenía solo 26.
Son momentos muy lindos, que deben ser conocidos.
—La historia debe ser contada como solemos contar la vida…
—A mí me gusta vivir esa historia que impartía, y siempre que podía la
conectaba con la de la comunidad, con la de Las Tunas que es muy rica.
No di la contienda de 1868 sin tocar la figura de Vicente García, con
todas sus cualidades y errores, y cuando expuse sobre la primera reunión
conspirativa llevé a los alumnos a San Miguel del Rompe, en mi provincia
natal. Si la historia no se enseña así, los muchachos aprenden una cosa
fría, y eso no es lo que queremos. Es necesario transmitir conocimientos
pero también sentimientos. Llevando las dos cosas a la par creamos
valores como el patriotismo y el antiimperialismo, tan importantes para
las nuevas generaciones.
—Por lo que entiendo, lo que estudiaste te llevó a la certeza de que el
trabajo político, si no implica los sentimientos, no será eficaz…
—El trabajo político hay que sentirlo. Y dentro de él, lo más importante
es encontrarle sentido a cada tarea. Si no le encuentras un sentido
lógico a lo que haces, si no hallas una idea coherente, una razón, un
por qué, no serás eficaz. Si le encuentras el por qué a las cosas, vas a
lograr convencer, que la gente se involucre y cumpla. Si de alguna
manera la gente percibe que el trabajo político es imposición de tareas
y misiones, no se logrará nada, porque la gente tiene que percibir que
las misiones dadas no son por gusto, sino tareas que tienen una
coherencia.
—¿Qué es lo que más te preocupa de la Cuba actual?
—Es una interrogante que debe ser bien pensada, porque tiene dentro de
sí otras muchas. Creo que tiene que ver con la asimilación consciente de
las nuevas generaciones de que este proceso histórico que estamos
viviendo hoy hay que cuidarlo. Es un elemento que me parece
trascendental: que los jóvenes puedan entender que la Revolución no está
aquí porque nos tocó ese destino y ya, sino que hay que defenderla,
cuidarla todos los días.
«La Revolución es un ser vivo que hay que alimentar. Y es de poquitos,
con trabajo. Pero un trabajo sistemático, no al bulto. Un trabajo
diferenciado, a lo individual, con las personas. No podemos pensar que
lo logrado se mantendrá porque sí, como si fuera un derecho divino, y no
porque luchemos.
«Hay que seguir explicando las virtudes y bondades que tiene nuestra
Revolución, que la gente tenga la percepción de que si no la cuidamos
podemos correr el riesgo de perderlo todo por el acecho que sufrimos
todos los días, porque los jóvenes somos un punto en la mira de la
contrarrevolución. Eso es lo que más me preocupa».
—En cuanto a la juventud, un sector tan heterogéneo y complejo, ¿cuáles
son los desafíos que a tu modo de ver implica ese universo en el
contexto de la sociedad?
—Hay muchos desafíos que tenemos que enfrentar. No estamos en una urna
de cristal, y nos llegan todo tipo de influencias. Se da una avalancha
de otras culturas que debemos asumir, pero de manera inteligente y
natural, trabajando. Estamos expuestos a todos los elementos que tienen
que ver con la propia globalización. Hay escenarios que no teníamos hace
dos, tres años, como el condicionado por las nuevas tecnologías. Y están
los nuevos elementos que se están introduciendo en la economía cubana,
los cuales hay que explicar especialmente a nuestros jóvenes.
«Antes solo teníamos la televisión, la radio, y la prensa escrita. Hoy
una noticia llega más rápido por otras vías que lo que pueden hacer
nuestros propios medios nacionales, realidad a la cual no estábamos
acostumbrados hace cinco, seis años. Creo que son elementos que debemos
tener presentes, pero no huir de esos desafíos sino todo lo contrario:
las nuevas tecnologías, por ejemplo, deben ser usadas para bien, en
función de nosotros, de nuestras políticas, a favor de los jóvenes, de
lo que quiere la Revolución».
—Tengo la percepción de que muchos de nuestros jóvenes no están leyendo
lo suficiente, lo cual implica un reto cultural y político enorme…
—Esa es una realidad innegable, que hay que enfrentar, pero
evidentemente habrá que hacer otras cosas en función de que haya
atracción por alimentar el espíritu. Habrá que buscar nuevas propuestas
a través de la prensa y de nuestros libros, elaborando mensajes para
todas las edades. Hay que buscar y encontrar los caminos, con un
lenguaje amplio, creativo.
—En la Cuba actual, que vive momentos de suma complejidad, la UJC como
organización política tiene ante sí, como la sociedad misma, múltiples y
grandes tareas…
—La organización tiene muchos retos. El primero es agrupar en su seno a
la vanguardia, lo mejor de lo mejor, y que nuestros militantes sean un
espejo para el resto de los jóvenes, y que nuestros jóvenes se quieran
parecer a nuestros militantes. De esa condición de liderazgo se van a
desprender las cosas que en la labor cotidiana hace la Juventud, como la
labor de crecimiento, como que nuestra organización de vanguardia
juvenil sea verdaderamente el relevo de nuestro Partido, porque si
perdemos el Partido estamos perdiendo la Revolución.
«La juventud debe tener esa idea, esa percepción de que cuidando nuestra
organización, manteniéndola, estaremos dándole continuidad a la
Revolución».
—¿Cómo asumes personalmente la nueva tarea?
—Dirigir a los jóvenes en Cuba es una gran responsabilidad, porque
debemos tener en cuenta todas sus aspiraciones, sus características,
desde los niños hasta los menos jóvenes dentro de los jóvenes. Creo que
ese es un elemento que hoy nos toca asumir.
«Y nosotros, en el plano profesional, tendremos que seguir trabajando
para que la gente tenga espíritu de preparación, sobre todo quienes son
responsables de dirigir colectivos desde la base hasta el nivel
nacional».
—Será importante hacer equipo, visualizar a los más idóneos dentro de
esa vanguardia…
—Es importante tener líderes dentro de la organización, gente que de
verdad arrastre, sin fanfarria, sin los grandes escenarios, sin las
grandes reuniones, sin las grandes concentraciones, aunque eso también
será necesario en algún momento, pero habrá momentos también, que son
los más, donde tendremos que ir a lo individual, al convencimiento, a lo
particular, y eso solo se asume con gente más preparada.
—¿Qué podrá decir, dentro de 20 o 30 años, un profesor de Historia sobre
lo que estamos viviendo ahora en Cuba?
—Un profesor de historia, si de la Cuba de hoy se trata, tendrá que
hablar de muchas cosas: de los cambios, de la recontextualización de
nuestro modelo económico. Habrá que decir que este momento tuvo sus
características. Dentro de 30 años vamos a estar pensando que los
jóvenes de ese tiempo necesitan atenciones especiales, porque tendrán
otras condiciones, pensarán de otra manera, el mundo lógicamente ya no
será igual, la tecnología será más avanzada. Será una etapa más de la
Revolución que entonces tendrá más años, y que será como la hayamos
sabido hacer y defender, en la que se hablará de sus líderes históricos,
los cuales van a trascender el tiempo que dure la historia misma.
http://www.juventudrebelde.cu/cuba/2012-09-29/el-trabajo-politico-hay-que-sentirlo/
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