On March 13, 1957, a group of students from the university of Havana launched an attack on the Presidential Palace in a bold attempt to overthrow military dictator Fulgencio Batista. The leader of the group, José Antonio Echeverría, who was also the President of the University Students Federation (FEU in Spanish) at the time, was slain by the police only steps away from the famous staircase leading into the University of Havana campus. He was only 24 years old.
To mark the 50th anniversary of this event, the family and friends of slain Cuban student leader José Antonio Echeverría donated $50,000 to establish the José Antonio Echeverría Scholarship fund at Florida International University. Although Echeverría was an architecture student, the family has decided to fund a scholarship in the Department of Political Science to encourage the new generation to become active participants in the current political enviroment and effective future leaders.
Joaquin A. Pedroso |
MIAMI, FL (November 28, 2007) – The first Jose Antonio Echeverria Scholarship has been awarded to FIU student Joaquin A. Pedroso. Pedroso, a senior with a double major in philosophy and political science is the first beneficiary of a scholarship created last March by the family and friends of slain Cuban student leader Jose Antonio Echeverria, to help mark the 50th anniversary of a bold attempt to overthrow military dictator Fulgencio Batista on March 13, 1957. Jose Antonio Echeverria was the President of the University Students Federation (FEU in Spanish) at the University of Havana in the late 1950s. The Federation’s armed branch, el Directorio, carried out the attack on the Presidential Palace while Echeverria briefly took over a popular radio station in Havana to announce that Batista had been overthrown. The attack failed, and Jose Antonio Echeverria was killed by the police. |
Although Echeverria was an architecture student, the family has decided to fund a scholarship in the Department of Political Science to encourage the new generation to become active participants in the current political environment and effective future leaders. Applicants are required to write an essay on the life and political thoughts of Jose Antonio Echeverria. To further encourage the study of the historical and political context of 1950s Cuba, the scholarship also requires applicants to complete a Certificate in Cuban and Cuban-American Studies at FIU.
The Jose Antonio Echeverria Scholarship will award $2,000 each academic year to cover tuition, books and other educational expenses. Interested students can contact the Department of Political Science at 305-348-2226.