On July 10th, the Center for Free Cuba, with the support of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, hosted a vigil in front of the Cuban Embassy as a sign of protest for the political prisoners of the July 11, 2021 protests in Cuba, and many other victims of the Cuban regime.
As war rages in Ukraine, the specter of a new era of captive nations looms across Europe’s frontline. This fear is something I knew all too well growing up under Soviet control in occupied Lithuania. My homeland’s oppression and march for independence is also why I know that we must continue to stand with the people of Ukraine—before it is too late.
If any event exemplifies the perverse essence of the Castro brothers’ gangster regime, the sinking of the “13 de Marzo” tugboat in July 1994 would undoubtedly be one of the most infamous, despite the long list of crimes committed by Cuba’s communist dictatorship.
July 11th, 2021, will be remembered as a pivotal day in the fight against Communism. On this day, thousands of Cubans took to the streets in an unprecedented demonstration that echoed across nearly every corner of the island. With speakers blaring the song “Patria y Vida” (“Homeland and Life”)—a direct challenge to the Cuban regime’s motto, “Homeland or Death”—many Cubans demonstrated for the first time in their lives.
As NATO leaders convene in my hometown of Washington, D.C. this month amid war in Europe, I find myself reflecting on the Alliance’s profound personal impact. Although Washington is now my home, I was born in Soviet-controlled Ukraine, a Captive Nation under the Iron Curtain.
Through VOC’s Online Bookstore, read about the history and the crimes of communism from VOC’s experts, staff, academic council members, and witnesses. Bolster your knowledge of communism’s destructive past and present with supplementary material from VOC’s curriculum.
Since the Chinese People’s Liberation Army marched into East Turkistan, now named the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in 1949 and occupied the land, Uyghurs have lived in constant fear and oppression, with their calendars marked by continual tragedy. The Urumchi… Read More
VOC’s President and CEO Dr. Eric Patterson writes for Fox News on marking World Refugee Day and remembering the victims of authoritarian regimes that have been forced to flee their homes throughout history.
VOC’s President and CEO, Dr. Eric Patterson, writes for Providence Magazine on the importance of celebrating Flag Day and simultaneously remembering those around the world who are not free.
