Committee Description

The year is 1956, and an uprising is brewing in Cuba. After Fulgencio Batista’s seizure of power, the once prosperous country has become rife with economic inequality, corruption, and a rapidly degrading public sector. However, the increasing prominence of and support for revolutionary Fidel Castro and his followers indicates that change is coming. After being released from prison the year before, Castro and his followers, known as the 26th of July Movement, have fled Cuba to the mountains of Mexico’s Eastern Province. As they attempt to bolster their forces and take Cuba back for the people, the 26th of July Movement faces immense obstacles. 

With this impending conflict in mind, History Will Absolve Me: Castro and the Movement’s Exile in Mexico, 1956 will have delegates representing Castro’s band of revolutionaries from combatants to poets to contacts in Cuba, as they decide how best to launch another assault on Cuba’s regime. Delegates will be tasked with figuring out how best to garner support and resources for their cause as well as deciding on a course of action in Cuba all while evading scrutiny from Batista’s government and its allies. Over the course of the committee, delegates will also have to navigate challenges like cultural differences, foreign involvement, the presence of Batista loyalists, and the need for discipline within their ranks. While the movement is ultimately united in their goals, delegates may come to disagree with each other and with movement leadership, forcing them to balance their personal desires with the good of the movement and of Cuba as a whole. 

Delegates, as you prepare for this committee, remember that you are stepping into a pivotal moment in history. The decisions you make and the actions you take will have far-reaching consequences for Cuba and its people. You will be faced with difficult decisions, unwinnable battles, and seemingly unforgivable differences. It will require courage, strategic thinking, and a willingness to compromise for the greater good.

The Dais of History Will Absolve Me is excited to meet all of you at SSUNS 2024 and cannot wait to see how you will navigate this committee!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Charlie Abbott at crisis@ssung.org

Sarah Creaner

Chair

Maisie Minnick

Vice-Chair

Leah Siegel

Crisis Director

Mira Reichenbach

Assistant Crisis Director