“The book 'Majá' is a testimony that I make about the corruption in baseball in Cuba, something that they have always tried to keep hidden, because they say that the national sport that was baseball was a paradigm, an example to be. However, it was full of lies, corruption and based on the need that we athletes had. Fidel in his utopian dream divided the sport before 1959 and after 1959, looking for a series of achievements, based on the fact that professionalism ended, instilling that sport... man was not a commodity and what professional sport was, was for try to exploit the athlete. (…) They were exploiting us and they continue to exploit us. There are still athletes out there who are drunk, both boxers and baseball players, who have forgotten about them. I didn't even know how to go into a restaurant. He had two olive green pants, dyed brown and black. Brown was the only one he had to go anywhere. They gave us a pair of tennis shoes. By achieving that idea of the triumph of revolutionary sport, what they did was destroy a line of young dreamers like us. And that led us to a path like this (selling matches). Many tell me that the others did not do it, because I did. It was a stage in my youth, and I really don't feel happy with what I did, because an athlete has his principles, his ethics, but hey, this is part of the story of my life and I can't erase it."
“I, being the president of a cooperative that produced ten million pesos annualy, had to celebrate my daughter's birthday with a pizza shared with her little friend. I bought a pizza for two at a place called “Dino”. I bought this pizza for her and her friend and I bought two soft drinks... Being the president of the cooperative, contributing this huge amount of money to Cuba. When I left (to the United States), in six years I came to build a house for each of my daughters."
“(My father) was a perons who lived in love with what they call the Revolution. He didn't complain about anything. However, he completely neglected his children. Now I am here and I am in the opposition, my other brothers are in the United States, they left the country. The protection and attention that a father should give to his children was given to the Revolution. His prize was abandonment and having his children who were not defenders of this as he was."
José Elías González Agüero was born on December 26, 1954 in Bayamo, Cuba. His father, of peasant origin, was one of the high-ranking officials within the Cuban regime, and participated in the founding of the Communist Party of Cuba and the National Revolutionary Police. For example, he worked as a diplomat in North Korea and was part of the Cuban troops in Angola. He loved the Cuban Revolution and this negatively affected his relationship with his children, who did not enjoy much attention from him during their childhood. José studied in Havana and from an early age he emerged as a child with great sports talent. The sport he liked the most was baseball. After finishing his studies to be an aviation engine and fuselage mechanic, he began to work in this field and at the same time played baseball in the Havana team that became the national champion. Despite being an excellent sportsman, he struggled with an unfavorable economic situation, since in those days professional sports in Cuba did not work and the players did not receive much money. He then decided to unite with the gamblers who were trying to affect the results of matches by offering players large amounts of money. He suddenly he could enjoy the luxurious life. After a few years, the frauds were revealed by the Police. José Elías was not penalized, but he stopped playing baseball and started working in agriculture. He became the president of a cooperative and worked in the unions, however, he saw that his economic situation was not improving and his activities within the unions were not yielding results. At the same time, he began to understand that the character of the Cuban system was totalitarian and repressive. In 2005 he decided to emigrate to the United States, where he met many exiles working in the opposition. Serving as his inspiration, he decided to revive the Union for Free Cuba Party. He also started working on the Emilia Project directed by Dr. Óscar Biscet. As it was difficult for him to take the rest of his family to the US, he decided to return to Cuba, where he continues to work to raise awareness among Cubans with the purpose of achieving change in the country.
Hrdinové 20. století odcházejí. Nesmíme zapomenout. Dokumentujeme a vyprávíme jejich příběhy. Záleží vám na odkazu minulých generací, na občanských postojích, demokracii a vzdělávání? Pomozte nám!
