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¨Very worker must be ripped from ignorance,
task of the Revolution is to teach the people, to teach the
workers ¨.
Fidel Castro Ruz

The first Henequenera National School ¨Ciro Redondo¨ founded in 1960 on the initiative of Commander Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, El Che, was based on the concept of the leader of the Revolution Fidel Castro, of the need for the training of workers and directors.

The “La Conchita” farm, near Varadero, was the location determined for the first Henequenera School in the country, as it had the required conditions. Here in the 1930s the North American monopoly International Harvester Compani was consolidated, with a fiber processing industry from Henequen and plantations, they built comfortable office spaces and the administrator's house, this was the property in which the School was located.
The significance in the history of the Finca La Conchita labor movement dates back to the 1950s when its looted workers took part in significant strikes, including the 103-day strike.

On December 18, 1959, the National Institute of Agrarian Reform acquired the twelve Henequenera companies in the country, from their owners, and they became Henequenera cooperatives.
When the Revolution triumphed, the old henequen factory "La Conchita" was named "Juliá Alemán" Henequen Cooperative in tribute to this sector leader who was assassinated by the Batista dictatorship. The first course began in March 1960 with a duration of six months. The subjects of the study program were aimed at technical training, cultural preparation and revolutionary instruction. The School was established to qualify a technical and political staff that responded to the interests of the working class. The General Administration of Henequenera Cooperatives was in charge of everything related to the organization. The Cloister was made up of two professors Hidalgo Expósito and Julio Puerta Quiroga who was the director of the Center. Leaders came to give conferences including Carlos Rafael Rodríguez.
The enrollment of this first course was 12 students, one for each Henequenera Farm, established in different provinces, Matanzas that it had, factories in Limonar, Cárdenas, Carboneras, La Conchita and in the main city, it was the most represented with six students. The "La Conchita" shredding plant had an efficient technological base.
Teaching hours were 7:30 a.m. at five in the afternoon. In the evening the individual study was supplemented with information from television, on Saturdays they carried out a test of the contents of the week, the course lasted six months at which time they received their salary.

On June 22, 1960, Commander Ernesto Guevara, in his capacity as INRA Director, visited the Henequenera School "Ciro Redondo", with the purpose of supervising the performance of the center, and giving a Conference. His presence at the School made a great impression on everyone present for his exceptional personality. Feeling that the passage of time could not erase.
The testimony of Eduardo Ortega Alfonso, one of the students, preserves the memory of that unforgettable day, he told us: “Che arrived in the morning, accompanied by Aleida March, the escort and the driver, the students, we were very impressed by the In the presence of the hero, the Director, Professor Julio Puerta Quirot welcomed him, El Che greeted everyone, talked about the course, asked about the needs of the school, and the existing difficulties promised to solve it. He gave us a lecture, it was an extraordinary political improvement class, for the content and the way of relating to the students. At the end he photographed himself with all the students. He was interested if we understood the importance of the course and its objective, the significance of the study for the good performance of the work we were going to do. He toured the center, we never imagined when we studied his book "Guerrilla Warfare" that one day we would have its author giving us a Conference was an extraordinary kind of political improvement. Not only because of the knowledge he taught us, but also because of the way he expressed himself and related to the students.
He had lunch with the students and teachers requested that the food be the same as every day.
At the conclusion of the visit, the Commander summoned the students to fulfill their responsibility and continue preparing to defend the Revolution from their jobs.
He informed them that at the end of the Course they would pay a visit to Yucatan, in Mexico for the experience they had in growing henequen to complete their preparation. On their return from Yucatan they took their jobs, and in mid-1961 most of the graduates of this first course appointed them to study elements of agriculture in the Soviet Union.
The School continued to teach six-month courses, also internal, to henequen workers from the different farms. The Commander was kept informed of the performance of the School.
The professional achievement of the students demonstrated the significance of this core institution that was the First National Henequenera School “Ciro Redondo”. Eduardo Ortega was National director of the Henequeneras farms.

Author: Lic. María Teresa Clark Betancourt

UNHIC Cárdenas Branch President and City Historian.

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