The documentary "The Avenger" about the life and work of Mara Buneva, who sacrificed her life for the rights of the Macedonian Bulgarians, is a special highlight in the program of the three-day congress of the Macedonian Patriotic Organization (MPO) in the USA and Canada. The 104th annual MPO Convention is taking place from August 29 to September 1 in Chicago, said Annamarie Bunev, granddaughter of the VMRO activist Boris Bunev (Mara Buneva’s brother).

Historical sources show that Macedonian Bulgarians played a key role in forming the largest Bulgarian immigrant community in North America during the second half of the 19th century. In October 1922, they founded the Macedonian Patriotic Organization of the United States and Canada. It is the oldest not-for-profit organization of Americans and Canadians of Macedonian descent in North America. According to the organization’s website, MPO was established by Macedono-Bulgarian immigrants, including several who fought against the Ottoman Empire during the Ilinden Uprising of 1903.

They were forced out of their motherland, oppressed by the political situation after the signing of the Treaty of Bucharest in 1913, which ended the Second Balkan War. According to the treaty, Bulgaria had to cede most of Macedonia to its former allies, Greece received Aegean Macedonia, and Romania took Southern Dobrudzha. The freedom fighters from the 1903 Ilinden Insurrection turned their sight on the new land of political freedom, of economic opportunity and of basic human rights, which beckoned to them from across the wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. They came by the thousands to establish new homes in the United States of America and Canada. As the freedom fighters settled into life in these two young, vibrant nations, they looked back on the tragedy of their native Macedonia and decided that it was their inherent duty to keep alive the torch of freedom that they had lighted in the valiant days of Ilinden 1903.

''Macedonian Tribune'' is the newspaper of MPO, which is now holding its 104th convention. The event is held every year at the beginning of September, says Annamarie Bunev, who has lived in the United States for half a century and is an active member of the Bulgarian community in Chicago.

''The organizations of Macedonian Bulgarians affiliated with MPO have decreased in number over the years. The older members have passed away and many of the younger generation do not speak the language and are not well familiar with the history. However, it continues to exist and even has some new branches formed by the younger Bulgarian immigrant community — in Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Las Vegas'', said Annamarie Bunev.

The documentary about the revolutionary from Tetovo is a highlight in the program of the MPO Congress in Chicago. The film was released at the beginning of 2024 but has not yet been screened in the United States.

The film tells the story of the revolutionary through reenactments of events from the life of 26-year-old Mara Buneva, documents, authentic photographs and insights from historians and experts. On January 13, 1928, near the Stone Bridge in Skopje, Buneva shot Velimir Prelić who was responsible for the Skopje Student Trial against members of the Macedonian Youth Secret Revolutionary Organization. After the shooting, Buneva turned the gun on herself.

On August 31, during the MPO congress in Chicago, Annamarie Bunev will share family memories of her legendary relative. ''It’s incredible that there are people who gather every year in her honor'', says Annamarie Bunev. Four years ago, she initiated the installation of a monument to Mara Buneva in Blagoevgrad. Here comes the question- is there a way for the memory of the past to reduce the tensions in the rhetoric between North Macedonia and Bulgaria today? And why, so many years later, do Bulgarians continue to seek recognition of their rights in North Macedonia?

''Mara Buneva herself stood firmly by this cause and sacrificed her life for it. Bulgarians in North Macedonia continue to seek these rights. I can only admire such idealists who keep fighting for justice. I know there is a lot of politics involved in this, but I can’t comment much on that because I’m not an expert. The fact that the 100th anniversary of her sacrifice will be celebrated in three years convinced me that it’s worth doing something in her name. My connection to her is through my grandfather, who was very close to her. That’s how she became involved in VMRO and moved from Tetovo to Sofia'', Annamarie Bunev went on to say.

Annamarie also recalls Mara Buneva’s last words: "Because I love my homeland."

''She believed so strongly and was so brave to plan and carry out this act, to take her own life in the name of justice, in the name of the fact that she was Bulgarian and did not agree with the oppression. I find that truly remarkable, especially for a woman! I believe I have inherited some of her qualities — I am a strong woman. One must never give up'', said Annamarie Bunev.

Photos: macedonian.org; Facebook/ Annamarie Bunev; bplusfilm.com; BNR-archive; BTA