July 26, 1953: Fidel, Abel, Boris, Raúl Castro and Raúl the poet. There are some many names impossible to summarize. It was the morning of Santa Ana, but the dawn had not yet come, because even the dawn distributed its silence in the Granjita de Siboney, but in Santiago, in the heroic city, there were carnival celebrations.

It was the day, in Bayamo, several brave young men would assault the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Barracks, to support Santiago's action and avoid sending reinforcements from the tyranny to the Moncada.

A group of 135 were with Fidel, the heard the verses of Raúl Gómez García, and the final shout: We are already in Combat! The main point was the barracks, and the action would be supported with the taking of the Saturnino Lora Civil Hospital and the Palace of Justice.

The older group arrived at Post 3, and disarmed it, but the shots were immediately unleashed: the surprise factor had disappeared. The revolutionaries were then seen in front of a group far superior to them in soldiers and weapons, the confrontation became increasingly difficult and the casualties increased in number.

There was blood on the sidewalks and holes in the walls because of the bullets. At that point, Fidel ordered the withdrawal. The losses of the Movement among the dead, wounded and prisoners were great, and as part of the latter: Abel Santamaría, second Chief of Action, from the Saturnino Lora Civil Hospital.

In Moncada, silence, abstinence, impunity ended, and it was seen since then, as the "military failure" announced to all Cuba that the end of injustice was near, that there was young blood spilled for freedom and not in vain. Cuba vibrated in those days, the dead wept but the living grew great.

Abel Santamaría was tortured to death, and his eyes were taken to his sister Haydeé as a sign of what a hero had suffered before he died.

Fidel was condemned, and defended himself transcendentally with his allegation: History will Absolve Me. But little more than five years later, the expected glory was made true. A January of light that made shine the blood spilled and we were free.

The Revolution became invincible from the beginning, and built us a country with all and for the good of all. It has past 66 years since Santiago felt shots in the Moncada, and it is not forgotten that it was there that Fidel began the work that will never end: the Revolution.

Compartir / Share