74 Chapter 3
It is significant that the key institutions regulating culture were all put in
place early on, before the creation of the ruling party; institutions such as the
Instituto Cubano de Arte e Industria Cinematográficos (ICAIC), created in March of
1959; the Casa de las Américas, in April of 1959; and the Unión de Artistas y
Escritores de Cuba (UNEAC) in April of 1961.^11 No doubt a writers’ associa-
tion would have been created earlier if writers had not been fighting each
other so fiercely (Lunes de la Revolución v. Hoy Domingo) for recognition
by the new political leadership.
I called these “secondary” institutions. “Primary” institutions are the
Communist Party, its Central Committee and its Department of culture; the
highest organs of executive power; and within all those, transcending them,
the Castro brothers. They organize, control and represent “cultural workers”
“within” La Revolución, emulating the Soviet model. They have at times pro-
vided some space for “dissonance” (Ivan de la Nuez's term) as well as shel-
ter for individuals momentarily victimized by another organization within
the PCF and/or directly by the political leadership. This occasional protec-
tive role appeared to be a consequence of the fact that UNEAC, ICAIC and
the Casa de las Américas were founded and directed for decades by close col-
laborators of Fidel Castro from way back: respectively, by Nicolás Guillén,
Alfredo Guevara and Haydée Santamaría. In Cuba the political is personal.^12
When a writer or an artist fell in disgrace, he or she could be ousted from an
organization (a research center, a cultural supplement, a jury) with a permis-
sion to join another organization in the field, in some other capacity: for
instance, becoming translator (Padilla), librarian (Arrufat), civil servant
- They were followed by an impressive number of organizations and organizations such as
the Instituto del Libro (1965), the Casas de la Cultura, the Association ‘Hermanos Saíz’
(AHS), the Ferias internacionales del libro, the Festival del nuevo cine latinoamericano, the
Bienal for visual art, Centers dedicated and named after Wilfredo Lam, Juan Marinello, José
Martí, the Centro Teórico-Cultural Criterios, among others. - On the Cuban Communist Party's website, the UNEAC (like the Unión de Periodistas de
Cuba) is presented as a “non-governmental organization.” In fact, it is squarely a government
organization. For a Cuban writer or artist, the road to insilio or exile often starts with a con-
demnation or expulsion from UNEAC (For instance, in 1991, in response to a petition signed
by ten writers who asked for more civil and political liberties. See Díaz Martínez, 1996.)
Recently a petition for the released of political prisoners and in support of Orlando Zapata
Tamayo was apparently signed by 50,000 individuals, including several members of the
UNEAC (Yoani Sánchez's blog, 10 August 2010). It is likely that opportunities to publish
abroad and collect royalties will free writers from tight control by UNEAC. The Casa de las
Americas was founded by the government in April of 1959 and has been under the supervi-
sion of the Ministry of Culture since August 1978. Its presidents have all been prestigious
insiders: Haydée Santamaría (1923-1980), Mariano Rodríguez (1912-1990) and now Roberto
Fernández Retamar (Fornet, 2001; Lie, 1996).