The most recent is the donation of 25 copies of the Spanish edition of Pathfinder's new title Playa Girón/Bay of Pigs: Washington's First Military Defeat in the Americas to the Union of Young Communists (UJC) and 40 copies to the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution. The donations were made by the Militant reporting team that recently visited Cuba to cover the March 22–25 Havana conference, "Girón: 40 Years After."

With help from the fund, Pathfinder is able to respond to requests from libraries, schools, and political groups in Cuba for a range of its books. Its titles can also be sold at the annual Havana International Book Fair in pesos, at prices Cubans can afford.

At a February 7 ceremony during the Havana book fair, 300 copies of Haciendo historia, Pathfinder's new Spanish edition of Making History: Interviews with Four Generals of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces, were donated to the combatants association. The group has distributed the books to its municipal groups to aid their work in bringing the real history of the revolution to Cuban youth.

In receiving the books on behalf of the association's leadership, Brig. Gen. Gustavo Chui Beltrán said, "We are grateful for the contributions of workers in the United States who give part of their wages to make this donation possible."

Events to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Cuban people's victory at Playa Girón and Cuba's successful 1961 literacy campaign took place in New York March 11 and in Seattle March 18. Both meetings also launched Playa Girón/Bay of Pigs in English and Spanish.

A participant at the Seattle meeting sent in a contribution of $10,000 to the Books for Cuba Fund a few days later. "You will appreciate the following story," she wrote. Her second cousin was one of the 1,500 Cuban mercenaries who participated in the Bay of Pigs invasion, she said. He was imprisoned for nine months and later released together with the big majority of those captured.

The contributor recalled a visit to her relatives in Miami when she was a teenager. "They explained their support for [the terrorist organization] Omega 7 and how convinced they were that one day Cuba would return to them, the rightful owners. History has proved to be on our side," she wrote.

The Seattle meeting encouraged her to do what she could to help expand the distribution of "the true account of the defeated U.S. military invasion of Cuba."

Since the beginning of the year working people and other readers have sent in $14,426 to the fund. More contributions, large or small, are welcomed. Checks earmarked "Books for Cuba Fund" can be made payable to the Militant, 410 West Street, New York, NY 10014.  
 
 
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