The ceremony, which has been taking place for more than 30 years, included the raising of the Cuban flag in front of City Hall and brought together more than a hundred people.
MADRID, Spain.- Dozens of Cuban exiles gathered this October 10 in front of Boston City Hall to participate in the traditional raising ceremony of the Cuban flag, organized by the Cuban Flag Movement and led by Regla González. The event, which has been celebrated annually for more than three decades, commemorated the 157th anniversary of the Grito de Yara, the founding date of Cuba’s independence struggles.
The ceremony was attended by more than a hundred people and had the institutional support of the Boston City Council. In addition, prominent figures of the Cuban community in exile were publicly recognized, including Orlando Gutiérrez Boronat, secretary of the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance (ARC); José Tomeu, veteran of the 2506 Assault Brigade; rapper and songwriter Jorgito Kamankola; and lawyer and civic leader Giselle M. Rodríguez.
“You can take Cubans out of Cuba, but you can’t take Cuba out of Cubans. I have met people here who were not born in Cuba, but they are more Cuban than me. They are so informed, they know a lot about Cuban music, they know a lot about the island, the country, because the love for Cuba is spiritual,” said Gutiérrez Boronat during his speech.
The opponent and activist also highlighted the importance of October 10 in national memory. “I think that October 10 is the most important date that we Cubans have, because it is the one that defines us. We have two options: either October 10, 1868, or July 26, 1953. […] Under the flag of October 10, under the manifesto of October 10, Cuba flourished. Under the flag full of blood of July 26, 1953, Cuba is sinking into the sea,” he stated.
The program included the performance of the American and Cuban national anthems, an official proclamation of the city of Boston, and musical performances by local artists. The day concluded with a reception inside the City Hall.
The annual raising of the Cuban flag in Boston has become a very significant symbolic act of the Cuban diaspora in the United States, as a sign of identity, historical memory and support for democratic aspirations for the island.
