Even in the drizzle, the persistent ones refuse to let the fire die out—stoking it with dry wood or with a bit of that charcoal that wages war against the imperial energy blockade from within thousands of homes.
Then, neighbors start appearing here and there—along with other people who refuse to give up—to contribute "a little bit" of what is often "so" hard to come by these days... But the *caldosa* is happening!
And why not sooner? Or at some other time on the calendar? Because there is only one September 28th. Just as the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution are unique. No one should waste time—or burn through mobile data—looking for an organization or an experience like it anywhere else on the planet. They were born in 1960 as a genuine creation of Fidel. And that must be recognized, celebrated, maintained, and perpetuated.
Their origin was not a whim or a spur-of-the-moment idea. The young Revolution needed them. With their innate perversity, the enemy—both foreign and domestic—moved heaven and earth to sabotage, inflict harm, create fear, sow panic, sow division, and damage the economy, the State, the Government, and society itself...
But Fidel is Fidel; upon returning from the United States, facing a sea of people gathered near the Presidential Palace, he unveiled a move that the White House, the CIA, and the internal counter-revolution could never have imagined:
"We are going to establish a system of collective revolutionary vigilance... so that the people keep watch, so that the people observe, and so that they see that when the mass of the people organizes, no imperialist—nor any imperialist lackey, sellout, or instrument—can make a move."
The rest would be handled by every city block and every neighborhood, as part of a phenomenon that multiplied watchful eyes, vigilance, defensive resolve, deep-rooted ties, and a sense of belonging; acting as a shield, it made it possible to neutralize thousands of hostile acts and ensure the peaceful slumber of the entire nation.
For some, the CDRs are no longer what they once were. Of course not. Sixty-six years have passed; the times have changed, new generations have emerged, circumstances are different, and the country is transforming and adapting... But take heed: the enemy remains "worse than ever, yet the same," and the need not to yield "even an iota"—as Che Guevara so masterfully advised—remains identical.
That is why the CDRs are here to stay—for the long haul, forever. And that is also why the Hero of the Republic of Cuba and national coordinator of the organization, Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, clearly reiterated something a year ago in Ciego de Ávila that we must never forget:
"We cannot remain anchored in the past; times change, and the Cuba of today faces new challenges... Community participation and open dialogue are essential at this moment, when we must change our methods of struggle but never abandon the fight itself. The Revolution is built from every home, every city block, every neighborhood, and every committed heart."
