标签： Cuba

A comprehensive monthly report from the Palestinian Commission Against the Wall and Settlements has documented an alarming escalation of Israeli military and settler activities across occupied territories. According to Commission Head Muayyad Shaaban, security forces perpetrated 1,523 distinct operations while settlers conducted additional attacks throughout the reporting period.

The investigation reveals a systematic pattern of violations including structural demolitions, property confiscation, deliberate vandalism, movement restrictions, lethal violence, physical assaults, and widespread theft. Shaaban emphasized these actions represent not random incidents but a coordinated strategy to displace indigenous populations and establish an institutionalized system of racialized control.

Particularly concerning is the attempted establishment of 19 unauthorized settler outposts—initial infrastructures designed to evolve into permanent Jewish settlements. The report asserts these developments occur with explicit political authorization from the highest levels of Israeli governance, intentionally fragmenting Palestinian territorial continuity and imposing demographic realities through fait accompli tactics.

Quantitative analysis confirms the seizure of approximately 280 hectares (692 acres) of West Bank land through multiple legal mechanisms including confiscation orders, expropriation procedures, and reclassification of state land boundaries. Additionally, authorities executed 46 demolition operations affecting 76 structures while issuing 51 preliminary notices targeting additional properties for future destruction.

A significant commemorative event in Rome celebrated the profound historical connections between Cuba and Italy through the extraordinary life of Gino Doné, an Italian partisan who became a Cuban revolutionary. The gathering, orchestrated by the Cuban Embassy in Italy, served as a poignant reminder of shared struggles for justice and freedom.

Ambassador Mirta Granda presided over the ceremony, which coincided with the 79th anniversary of the Granma yacht’s landing—a pivotal moment in Cuban history when 82 revolutionaries sailed from Mexico’s port of Tuxpan to initiate the final phase of Cuba’s liberation struggle. The ambassador characterized Doné’s life as “one of the most sublime symbols of the brotherhood of our peoples,” emphasizing how common ideals forge unbreakable bonds between nations.

The centerpiece of the December 2nd event was the presentation of the biographical work “The Life of Gino Done, Italian Partisan and Cuban Revolutionary.” Ambassador Granda extended gratitude to diverse attendees representing various sectors of Italian society with connections to Cuba, plus members of the Cuban expatriate community in Italy.

The diplomatic official particularly acknowledged the National Association of Italy-Cuba Friendship (Anaic) for spearheading this initiative and praised the dedication of co-authors Pier Carlo Porporato (Anaic member) and Daily Sanchez Lemus (Cuban journalist and historian) in bringing this important historical account to fruition.

The ceremony featured video contributions from prominent Cuban figures: Fernando González Llort, president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP); René González Barrios, director of the Fidel Castro Ruz Center; and co-author Sánchez Lemus. Each highlighted Doné’s remarkable journey from fighting fascism in Europe to joining Cuba’s revolutionary movement.

A particularly emotional anecdote recalled Doné’s final meeting with Fidel Castro in 2005 during commemorations for the 52nd anniversary of the assaults on Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks. Their heartfelt embrace culminated in Doné’s pledge: “I will be with you until the last drop of my blood.” His subsequent request—that his remains eventually rest in Cuba alongside his Granma comrades—underscored his eternal devotion to the Cuban cause.

December 2, 1956, marked a definitive turning point in Cuban history when 82 revolutionary expeditionaries led by Fidel Castro embarked on their perilous landing at Los Cayuelos near Playa Las Coloradas. After seven grueling days aboard the overcrowded Granma yacht battling violent storms and treacherous seas, the determined rebels faced their ultimate test upon reaching Cuban shores.

The landing itself proved more challenging than anticipated. What appeared as solid ground from the yacht revealed itself as a treacherous swamp, with thick, cold mud clinging to the revolutionaries’ legs as they waded through chest-deep waters for two exhausting hours. The physical ordeal of dragging themselves through the sucking terrain while carrying heavy equipment and weapons pushed the men to their absolute limits.

At dawn, their position was discovered by government forces. Heavy naval artillery fire targeted the stranded Granma yacht while aerial attacks sent bursts of gunfire across the marshland. Despite extreme fatigue, hunger, and the immediate threat of enemy engagement, the expeditionaries maintained their unbreakable resolve—a collective determination to achieve Cuban liberation or martyrdom.

This historic landing gave birth to what would become Cuba’s Revolutionary Armed Forces, inheriting the legacy and mettle of the original Rebel Army. The events of that December morning transcended the immediate struggle, evolving into a powerful symbol of national resistance and self-determination. The ordeal at Los Cayuelos planted the seeds of revolutionary triumph that would ultimately reshape Cuba’s political landscape, creating a living legacy that continues to influence subsequent generations of Cubans.