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UNESCO Regional Office for Culture was venue of the book presentation “Cazadores de esclavos” (Slave Hunters) |
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The book, published by Fundación Fernando Ortiz and supported by UNESCO Office – Havana, includes 11 diaries of slave hunters in Cuba
November 26th, 2004/ UNESCO-Havana
The book “Cazadores de esclavos. Diarios” (Slave Hunters. Diaries) from Fundación Fernando Ortiz, was launched Thursday November 25th, at the UNESCO Regional Office for Culture in Latin America and the Caribbean, Havana Cuba. The Director of the Regional Office, Mr. Francisco J. Lacayo Parajón was at the activity, as well as the Director of the Fundación Fernando Ortiz, Dr. Miguel Barnet who is also member of UNESCO Executive Council and of the International Committee of the Slave Route Project and its Cuban branch. The authors of the book were also there, Bach. Mirtha T. González and Dr. Gabino de la Rosa.
“The work of Gabino de la Rosa and Mirta T. González not only contributes to UNESCO purpose of not forgetting the reality of this crime against humanity, but it also gives new elements to understand the abyss consequence of the human aberration that created it” stated Mr. Lacayo in his speech, that was very well welcomed by the public who recognized the great strength and sensitivity of his words.
Cazadores de esclavos. Diarios “It is the result of the series of historic researches. Boths authors unravel and dig up the rustic, bureaucratic and cold memories from persons that assumed as a legal paid trade, the task to hunt persons”, resumed Lacayo.
This book presents with the strength and cruelty of its own reality, eleven from the dozens diaries found in the Cuban National Archives about the slave hunters in different regions of the island. The publication embraces from year 1815 to 1848 and shows, beyond the relentless pursuit and extermination of fugitive slaves and palenques (community of fugitive slaves), “the testimonies of the courage and daring of the escapee slaves” as Fundación Fernando Ortiz says in the prologue.
According to the authors, these diaries constitute “a new and important source for the knowledge about slave resistance, the defensive techniques of the cimarrones (fugitive slaves), the daily life and the slave farms, in the paleques as well as the African roots of the present Cuban culture”.
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Related Link(s): The Slave Route, Cultural Policies, Intercultural Dialogue |
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