Rosario García Calviño

Doña Rosario García Calviño. Mother of the martyrs Frank and Josué País García, who supported her sons in the struggle for liberation.

She was born in the Bay of Marín, province of Pontevedra in Spain.

She arrived in Cuba in 1917, seeking work through Sara País, daughter of Reverend Francisco País Pesqueira, settling at the parsonage of the First Baptist Temple of Santiago de Cuba, where she worked as a domestic employee in the functions of the Temple and the Parsonage. In a very short time she became an assistant to the Pastor in religious services, learning to play the piano and organ.

In October 1927 she married in the town of El Cristo, to the most important figure of the Baptist Congregation of Santiago de Cuba: Don Francisco País Pesqueira. From this union three children were born, Frank País, Agustín País and Josué País, becoming orphaned of their father at a very young age when the Reverend died in 1939.
Doña Rosario with her children moved to the house on General Bandera Street #226 between Habana and Los Maceo, today converted into the Frank País García House Museum.

She was a woman of solid character formed by the life of a worker. She possessed a fine artistic sensitivity which manifested itself when she played beautiful musical pieces on the piano. Her extraordinary courage and firmness were traits that her children inherited throughout the course of their lives.

At home her children received their first practical teachings, she becoming a guide for them, where she demanded much study, obedience, love of life and respect for others, as she herself stated: "…I was a controlling mother and that kept me from having to scold them constantly, you have to know how to raise your children, I can say this from experience, because after my husband died I found myself alone with mine… despite working very hard and constantly, I always sought time to occupy myself with their education… I tried to be stern and at the same time affectionate, you have to understand them, without giving them blows or punishments you have to guide them with discipline on the correct path".

At first her children did not tell her anything about their revolutionary activities, but they never managed to deceive her. She spoke to them with affection and wisdom, she advised them to be careful, that one had to be cautious, even in the moments when they decided to lead a clandestine life, she would pass through the streets and places where they were hidden, but only so they would see her, avoiding approaching them and being discovered.

On June 30, 1957, she received the news of the death of young Josué País, murdered on Martí and Crombet streets, and as if that were not enough, on July 30 of the same year she received another blow upon learning of the assassination of her firstborn, Frank País García. However, this admirable woman's response to the henchman Salas Cañizares was the following… "they killed Frank", "but his mother remains"… maintaining great firmness and showing her courage as a mother.

Upon the triumph of the Revolution she developed extensive sociocultural work aimed at serving the children of her community. She stood out as a member of the federation and as a revolutionary in general, receiving multiple recognitions.

Her childhood and adolescence took place amidst conditions of extreme poverty. This meant that from an early age, she had to work together with her siblings in work related to the canning and salting industry.

As a result of her father's death, the economic situation became more tragic and her mother (Doña María del Pilar) decided to send her to Cuba in order to improve her living conditions.

On June 30 she suffers in the depths of her soul the loss of her youngest son, her beloved Josué, but faced with pain, the "Doña" does not falter, she rises to the adversities. And as if that were not enough, in just thirty days she is wounded again, when her firstborn falls assassinated in the streets of Santiago at only 22 years old.
"What a woman! What courage! What conviction! They did not see her cry in these such hard moments. On one occasion she expressed:
It is not time to cry, but to fight

Yes, they assassinated my sons, they killed Josué, Frank, but their mother lives…

In the populous neighborhood of Tivolí, cradle of artists and troubadours and of great patriotic and revolutionary fervor in the struggle, Doña Rosario would reside from 1957 to 1977, mother of fighters born in the city that has bequeathed the most heroes to her Homeland.

In her little house on San Carlos the world was not foreign to her, for once the Revolution triumphed, she joined as an active member of the CDR, becoming Honorary President of the Federation of Cuban Women in the province.
A pleasant conversationalist, she related to all the people in her new neighborhood, discussing and analyzing all current issues.

She paid special attention to the training of new generations, as she saw Frank and Josué multiplied in the millions of children and young people throughout the country.

From her came the initiative to create at the First Congress of the PCC (1975) an area of Sociocultural Animation that she called: Área de Participación Hermanos País, where children not only enjoyed their favorite games, but also had the opportunity to participate in political and cultural activities, which would contribute to their comprehensive education.

Doña Rosario along with her faithful secretary Hortensia Bolívar formed a choir of twenty-eight voices: fourteen female and fourteen male, accompanied by musical instruments: They performed songs from the popular repertoire, traditions and with Revolutionary content among which we can mention: Un millón de Amigos, Frutas del Caney, La Guantanamera, Lagrimas Negras, Cuba Hermosa, etc.

Because of the quality of the vocal group, it was presented at provincial pioneer festivals.

A dance group was created performing typical Cuban dances formed by eight girls and one boy; as well as two baseball teams that competed every weekend.

During the carnival festivities they tried to revive the cultural traditions of the area by organizing fairs with government support in which all the neighbors participated. Before beginning these activities Hortensia would blow the whistle to call for silence and then the historical dates would be sung.

On several occasions delegations from different countries were received, delegates from national events, leaders of the PCC and the government.

In the activities that were carried out with the youngsters they were given talks on: how to care for and protect the environment? The garden was attended specifically by the children of the neighborhood. In this way she contributed effectively to the fulfillment of the postulates of the Cultural Policy outlined by the Revolution.

Thus the beautiful Martian sentence became reality.

"We work for children, because children are those who know how to love, because children are the hope of the world 2 With what joy she contemplated from her balcony the little children, watching them laugh, sing, play sports, and even repair toys and musical instruments when they deteriorated.

These activities contributed to awakening interest in study, strengthening love for the Homeland and for all peoples of the world, to the formation of work habits and social responsibility, solidarity, patriotism. Evidence of this was the contribution given by the children of the area for the self-financing of the Territorial Troop Militias, to the Provincial Direction of the Federation of Cuban Women, as stated by Oscar Brinques, a young man of 31 years: Technician in Road Construction, former member of the area.

Doña Rosario was also concerned with resolving social problems that were within her reach. On several occasions she managed scholarships for older children and Children's Circles for the smallest ones, always giving priority to the harmonious development of these personalities in formation.

On August 5, 1977, Doña Rosario passed away at 78 years of age, the news caused deep consternation in men and women of the province and throughout the country, and especially among the pioneers. The FAR detachment opened ranks behind the hearse. "Now Doña has died. Goodbye People! As she used to tell them as she passed….

"Nothing endures without grace, the woman of instinct perceives truth and pursues it"3