Juventud Rebelde
February 23, 2006
The Fangio kidnapping
by Armando Hart Dávalos




A CubaNews translation by Ana Portela. Edited by Walter Lippmann.

Operation Fangio by Arnol Rodríguez – which has just been published and released at the XV International Book Festival – is an excellent text which relates the reasons behind the kidnapping of Juan Manuel Fangio and it is delivered in attractive prose. It also describes that Cuban historical moment and especially, the clandestine struggle in Havana in 1957 and the first months of 1958.

Our young people should read the general outline of Cuba’s history and learn about the sinister personality of Fulgencio Batista and his rise to power. Rarely has there been such a clear, synthetic and readable explanation of the Cuban historical process, giving the background to that specific event. The book also covers the national and international impact of that memorable action and gives references which are of extraordinary value.

It highlights the friendship which was formed between Fangio and his kidnappers. I think that it is worthwhile finding out what other kidnapping with political ends had these characteristics. I think what happened that February 23-24 of 1958 is unique. I invite young people to find another similar event. This also marks Cuban singularity because the fraternal relations that were established between the captors and the kidnapped and the manner in which he was treated, is somewhat original or, at least, exceptional in kidnappings for political ends. This demonstrates the moral fiber of the comrades who carried it out that was, simply, the Revolution they represented.

Present was a deep humanism during a complicated moment, and in an action which, by itself, was complicated. The book demonstrates the originality of the Cuban Revolution. This is another piece of history of Cuba which must be studied, specially regarding its ethics which have been constant for 200 years. The ethics of the captured one and his captors was of utmost importance because this friendship was maintained until the Fangio's death in 1995. Reading this book, I came to the conclusion that this story is a meaningful way to tell the history of the country and its specific events.

I know that something has been done on the subject already, but it would be worthwhile for our mass media, television and films, to prepare the exact events of this study because it is very similar to fiction, if read without any background to the events. Without any important link with them, it could very well be thought of as fiction. A fiction prepared from Cuban history itself and the exceptional events which could serve many of our scriptwriters. I hope they study this history and perhaps we will have valuable television programs or films, more so than some we have today and appreciate in our media.

I propose a meeting with scriptwriters to explain the information and thoughts we have or the history of Cuba since it could be a fundamental reserve for new young scriptwriters. Necessary, of course, are talent and revolutionary vocation. The book by Arnol on Fangio serves as a starting point for this initiative.

Also noted in the book, and very specifically, is the personality of several companeros, Faustino Pérez, among them. I fortunately had a great friendship with him. Faustino became, in time, a natural leader of clandestine struggles in Havana and the western region of the country. In the east it was Frank País. Faustino, Frank and Celia Sánchez are three fundamental figures and, more so, their support of the revolutionary struggle in the Cuban plains was symbolical.

Faustino was a scholar of Marti and he was a Fidelista, as we expect our children, our grandchildren and all our descendents. Their example will last as the great movers of our history and, in this memory, their firm and intelligent manner in which they directed the operation of the kidnapping of Fangio and his deliverance to Argentine authorities.

You can read all about this in the beautiful book written by Arnol Rodríguez, one of the protagonists of that action.


 

From: NPV <nvaldes@unm.edu>
Sent: Jul 16, 2008 12:43 PM
To: Walter Lippmann <walterlx@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: GRANMA: Operation Fangio

Walter,

Operation Fangio was unilaterally conceived, organized and executed by a small group of clandestine operatives that worked with Faustino Perez in the urban underground of the M-26-7 in Havana. The operation was NOT initiated, organized or executed by the Rebel Army led by Fidel Castro. This is an important point.

At the time, prior to April 1958, the so-called "llano" (or urban underground of the M-26-7) tried to take the political opposition leadership and initiative away from the "sierra" (the guerrillas). Thus, it is a mistake to assume that the Fangio’s abduction (which lasted just 24 hours) was connected to the Sierra Maestra guerrillas.

The only abduction that the Rebel Army ever carried out was done by Raúl Castro. However, Fidel Castro upon finding out about it immediately ordered his brother to release the Americans that had been taken hostage. The Rebel Army position on abduction and arrests of foreigners or anyone else was clearly stated by Fidel Castro on a number of occasions. On July 3, 1958 he stated,

"Today I have informed the international press and the United States government that in the general headquarters of the Rebel Army in the Sierra Maestra no report has been received on the case of North American citizens allegedly arrested. That zone of operations, which is situated one hundred miles away, has no radio transmitters, and if it is true that the United States citizens are being held by rebel forces their release will be ordered.... I have stated... that the 26th of July Movement is fighting for the respect of human rights. We believe that individual freedom is one of the inviolable rights of every human being and therefore no one should be arrested without a just cause..."

It is a mistake to attribute to Fidel Castro or to the Rebel Army the Fangio affair. That was an initiative of an urban underground in Havana that was not yet under the discipline of the Sierra Maestra revolutionaries.

Historical accuracy matters.


Nelson P Valdes
Cuba-L Direct

JUVENTUD REBELDE
Februery 23, 2006

El secuestro de Fangio
Armando Hart Dávalos
http://www.jrebelde.cu/2006/enero-marzo/feb-23/opinion_elsecuestro.html
 

Operación Fangio, de Arnol Rodríguez —que acaba de ser publicado en ocasión de la XV Feria Internacional del Libro—, es un texto que relata de manera excelente lo que fue el secuestro de Juan Manuel Fangio, y lo hace con una prosa atractiva. Describe también el momento histórico cubano y, en especial, la lucha clandestina en La Habana en 1957 y los primeros meses de 1958.

El bosquejo de la historia de Cuba que allí se hace y el enfoque que se da de la tenebrosa personalidad de Fulgencio Batista y su ascenso al poder, debieran leerla todos nuestros jóvenes. Pocas veces he apreciado tan clara exposición de las ideas del proceso histórico cubano en forma sintética, amena, como telón de fondo de un gran acontecimiento en concreto. Se recoge también en el libro la repercusión nacional e internacional de aquel suceso memorable y brinda citas que son de extraordinario valor.

Se subraya la amistad que llegó a establecerse entre Fangio y sus captores. Pienso que es necesario investigar qué otro secuestro con fines políticos tuvo en el mundo las características de este, pues me parece algo singular lo sucedido aquel 23-24 de febrero de 1958. Invito a nuestros investigadores a procurar si hay alguno parecido. Esto también marca la singularidad cubana, porque las relaciones fraternales que se llegaron a establecer entre los captores y el secuestrado, y la manera en que se trató a este último, es algo original, o por lo menos excepcional, en secuestros con factores políticos. Esto muestra la calidad moral de los compañeros que trabajaron en ello, que no es otra que la de la misma Revolución que representaban.

Está presente aquí un humanismo profundo en un momento complicado y ante un hecho de por sí complicado. Este libro muestra la originalidad de la Revolución Cubana, es una pieza más para demostrar que es indispensable estudiar la historia de Cuba, en especial su relación con la ética, que ha sido una constante en estos 200 años. La ética del capturado y la de los captores salta a la vista como una hermosa enseñanza, pues mantuvieron una amistad que duró hasta la muerte de Fangio en 1995. Al leerlo pienso que este relato debe servir para nuevos empeños en divulgar la historia del país y sus hechos más concretos.

Sé que ya se ha hecho algo sobre el tema, pero valdría la pena que nuestros medios, la televisión y el cine, prepararan otro material en que este caso se ajuste exactamente a lo señalado en el libro, porque se parece mucho a la ficción; si se lee sin conocer los hechos y sin haber tenido tan profunda relación con ellos, podría pensarse que es una ficción. Ficciones preparadas a partir de la historia misma de Cuba y sus hechos excepcionales pueden servir de mucho a nuestros guionistas. Aspiro a que ellos estudien esta historia y así tendremos programas televisivos o cinematográficos de tanto valor o más que algunos de los que hoy apreciamos en nuestros medios.

Propongo que hagamos un encuentro de guionistas con relación a la historia de Cuba para explicarles la información y la percepción que tenemos, ya que puede ser cantera fundamental para nuevos guiones cinematográficos. Hace falta, desde luego, talento y vocación revolucionaria. El libro de Arnol sobre Fangio me sirve de antesala para esta iniciativa.

Se destaca también en el texto, de manera particular, la personalidad de varios compañeros, entre ellos Faustino Pérez. Tuve una amistad entrañable con él. Faustino llegó a ser, con el tiempo, el líder natural de la lucha clandestina en La Habana y en el occidente del país. Era en el Occidente lo que Frank País en Oriente. Faustino, Frank y Celia Sánchez son las tres figuras fundamentales y más simbólicas del apoyo a la lucha revolucionaria en los llanos de Cuba.

Faustino era martiano y fidelista, como aspiramos que sean nuestros hijos, nuestros nietos y todos nuestros descendientes. Su ejemplo perdurará como el de los grandes personajes de la historia, y entre ellos perdurará el recuerdo de la forma firme e inteligente con que dirigió la operación del secuestro de Fangio y la entrega del mismo a las autoridades argentinas. Puede usted apreciar todo esto en el libro hermosamente escrito por Arnol Rodríguez, uno de los protagonistas de aquella acción.