The Haydée Santamaría Society

The Haydée Santamaría Society is an organization dedicated to political and social projects. The organization was founded in 1996 in the Madrilenian community of Leganés. It was originally formed by union members, social activists, and other community members, who – because they had no other place to gather and to organize – decided to create an entity, the guiding principal of which was to be International Solidarity.

The organization has created a platform that gives a voice to Cuba and to its Revolution, to Venezuela, to Palestine, to the indigenous people of the Amazon and of Guatemala, to the Mexican Zapatistas, and to the many other movements that have lacked a space from which they can make themselves be heard.

In many cases, solidarity was based upon cooperative projects, which we believe to be effective measures for raising awareness in our immediate surroundings. We have engaged in projects in Cuba, in Mexico, in Yugoslavia, in Palestine as well as in Lebanon and its Palestinian refugee camps and continue to engage in these and in many other places.

The style in which the associacion works, as well as the proposals it has issued, have been positively received not only in the southern part of Madrid, but also by the city councils of communities such as Albacete, Mutxamel, Petrer and Vic. These councils have collaborated with us in the past and continue to do so in the present.

The associacion has also supported the formation of work-groups, the goal of which have been to network with other organizations in order to promote a number of different projects and activities. Such was the case with the Foro de la Memoria, which emerged out of our organization and is now on a path of its own.

Recently, a sister organization has emerged in Catalonia with the goal of expanding and further disseminating our work: the Associaciò Cultura, Pau i Solidaritat Haydée Santamaría.

Our association has actively supported Solidarity Brigades sent to Iraq, to Palestine, and to Lebanon at the peak of every conflict. These brigades, sent to support the civil population, have in many cases emerged as the only sources of information about what was actually taking place in those countries.

From here, from this very space, we invite you to actively take part with us in forming our ideas, proposals and projects.