The Jose Antonio Echeverria Scholarship at the Department of Political Science in the College of Arts and Sciences

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, Jose Antonio Echeverria, 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 50^th anniversary of this event, the family and friends of slain Cuban student leader Jose Antonio Echeverria donated $50,000 to establish the Jose Antonio Echeverria Scholarship fund at Florida International University.  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.

“We want to encourage our new generations to understand what happened in Cuba during the 1950s, not only in the political context, but also in the economic and social one, that urged my brother’s generation to act the way they did,” said Lucy Echeverria, sister of Jose Antonio and President of the Jose Antonio Echeverria Foundation, the entity donating the funds to FIU. “This is perhaps one of the most turbulent and least understood periods in Cuban history. We would like to encourage more research in this area.”

The scholarship will support students in the Department of Political Science and will also promote the understanding among students at the University of the political, social and economic realities of 1950s Cuba, and in particular on the life and legacy of Jose Antonio Echeverria and his courageous struggle for freedom and democracy on the island nation.

The Jose Antonio Echeverria Scholarship will award $1,000 each academic year to cover tuition, books and other educational expenses.  Interested students can contact the Department of Political Science at 305-348-2226.

Click here for Application Form.

Click here for More information on eligibility and requirements