Defending Liberty by Remembering Captive Nations Week
It’s Captive Nations Week. Ever heard of it? Sadly, many generations of American citizens likely haven’t. In 1959, at the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Congress designated the third week in July as Captive Nations Week, a time for Americans to show solidarity with the hundreds of millions of people suffering under communist regimes.
Did you know that 20% of the world’s population still lives under single-party communist dictatorships? Over 1.5 billion people are denied freedoms of speech, association, press, religion, and movement by communist regimes in China, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Venezuela, and Vietnam.
This and every Captive Nations Week, we mourn ongoing violations of human dignity and champion those who are tirelessly working to advance liberty in the face of oppression. Captive Nations week is an opportunity to awaken new generations of American citizens to the necessity of defending freedom at home and abroad.
Have you heard of Captive Nations Week? Are there individuals we should know about who are advocates for liberty in a captive nation? Let us know in the comments, or tag us on Instagram.
Did you know that over 1.4 billion people are held captive by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) alone? On our Instagram stories this week, we highlighted the continued struggle for freedom from communist China’s tyranny.
And this isn’t just happening on the other side of the world—it’s happening next door to us. For more than 60 years, communist leadership in Cuba has denied all basic freedoms, imprisoned people for their political views, and systematically pillaged the country’s wealth. But liberty seems closer than ever for the Cuban people. On July 11, 2021, tens of thousands of Cubans participated in the #11J protests, chanting "Freedom", "We are not afraid", and "Down with Communism."
Common Sense Society Courage Award recipient and founder of Cuba Decide, Rosa María Payá, is filled with hope. She recently tweeted, “Although the system still hasn't changed, the people have changed!”
Hear what she had to say at our 2022 Gala:
Today, the Cuban people are standing on the threshold of freedom. . . . May their courage and their actions be an inspiration for all of us. — Rosa María Payá
Victory in the struggle for liberty in the face of communist oppression is far from inevitable, but this Captive Nations Week we remember that it can be achieved—and we stand with the courageous individuals and communities who are peacefully demanding it.