Cuba: Castro and the

26th July Movement

Ria Kumar
Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro

Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz was born in 1926 in Oriente, an eastern

province of Cuba. His father, an immigrant from Spanish Galicia,
owned sugar plantations in the region. In 1945, Castro began
studying law in Havana and quickly became involved with the
Orthodox Party. Renowned for his powerful oratory skills,
exceptional memory, and athleticism, Castro swiftly gained
popularity and support within the party. Despite intending to run for
Congress in 1952, elections were thwarted by Batista's coup
against Prío Socarrás, sparking Castro's initial opposition to
Batista's regime. In 1953, he made his rst attempt to overthrow
Batista.
fi
The Moncada
Assault 1953
 The Moncada Assault 1953
Historical context

On July 26, 1953, around 140 individuals dressed in military attire launched an assault on
the Moncada Barracks, a signi cant military installation in Cuba. The majority of the
attackers were a liated with the Orthodox Party and were led by Fidel Castro, along with
his brother Raúl and Abel Santamaría. Situated in Santiago de Cuba, within the Oriente
province, Moncada was selected for various strategic reasons. It was the country's second-
largest garrison and housed substantial ammunition supplies that Castro aimed to capture.
Additionally, Oriente was known for its heightened social unrest, which Castro believed
would garner popular support for the attack. Furthermore, the geographical distance
between Santiago de Cuba and Havana ensured that there would be su cient time to
complete the takeover if Batista's forces were dispatched from the capital to defend the
barracks. Lastly, the timing of the assault coincided with a local celebration in the streets of
Santiago, leading Castro to anticipate fewer soldiers stationed at the garrison.
ffi
fi
ffi
 The Moncada Assault 1953
Event

The objective of the operation was to procure weapons that could ignite a widespread
uprising against Batista's regime. Castro envisioned that a successful attack, resulting in
the acquisition of weapons, would rally signi cant popular support for the rebellion.

Despite meticulous planning, several last-minute complications hindered the rebels'

e orts. While the element of surprise was meant to favor the rebels, the army managed to
e ectively defend the barracks. Nearly half of the participating rebels were killed, with
many others captured and subjected to torture, including Abel Santamaría. Fidel and Raúl
Castro evaded capture initially but were eventually apprehended and imprisoned by
Batista's forces.

Batista opted to turn the trial of the rebels into a grand display of power, aiming to
demonstrate his unwavering resolve to suppress any opposition to his regime, hoping it
would serve as a deterrent. Fidel Castro, being a lawyer, chose to represent himself during
the trial. Despite the proceedings being held separately with limited attendance, Castro's
impassioned speech, titled 'History Will Absolve Me,' not only served as his defense but
also outlined a comprehensive program for political and social reform in the country. In his
address, Castro pledged to address Cuba's most pressing issues, including housing
shortages, lack of industrialization, and de ciencies in the education system.
ff
ff
fi
fi
The Moncada Assault 1953
Consequences
The Moncada assault marked the inception of Castro's political movement, the '26th of July Movement,'
named in commemoration of the attack's date. The rebels gained recognition as the 'Generation of the
Centenary,' as 1953 coincided with the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Cuban hero José Martí.

Fidel Castro emerged as the sole political leader not only vocal against Batista's dictatorship but also willing to
take action against it. Despite the rebels initiating the aggression, Batista's harsh measures of repression,
torture, and persecution tarnished his image, elevating Castro and his comrades as martyrs in the struggle
against the dictatorship.

In 1954, in an e ort to legitimize his rule, Batista orchestrated elections and stood as a presidential candidate.
With Castro incarcerated, the PSP (Popular Socialist Party) banned, and no viable opposition to his candidacy,
Batista manipulated the elections to assert that he had been legitimately chosen by the people. The
subsequent year, amidst other super cial gestures to appear democratic, Batista permitted political parties to
reassemble and released numerous political prisoners, including the leaders of the Moncada raid. Freed from
prison, Fidel Castro went into exile in Mexico to orchestrate the revolution.

Despite Batista's façade of democracy, protests in Cuba swelled, culminating in armed clashes in urban
centers. Various revolutionary factions proliferated in rural areas, advocating for insurgency, carrying out acts
of sabotage across the island, and organizing guerrilla units. Communication networks and food distribution to
towns and cities frequently faced disruptions. Sugar production plummeted due to sabotage targeting sugar
mills, oil re neries, and railways. While most political parties demanded elections, Batista adamantly refused to
hold them, except for the 26th of July Movement, which believed that change in Cuba necessitated the
forceful overthrow of Batista.

On December 2, 1956, Fidel Castro returned to Cuba, launching the subsequent phase of the struggle that
would ultimately propel him to power.
fi
ff
fi
Castro's
"History will
absolve me"
speech
 Castro's "History will absolve me" speech
Content

On July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro spearheaded a group of Cuban revolutionaries in an

assault on the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba. The objective was to
acquire weapons to bolster the movement aimed at toppling the dictatorship of
Fulgencio Batista. Following his arrest and subsequent fteen-year prison sentence,
Castro delivered a four-hour speech in defense of the movement he led. This
speech, later published as a manifesto of the July 26th Movement, played a pivotal
role in the successful overthrow of the Batista government in 1959. In the address,
Castro advocated for modest reforms, including the restoration of the 1940 Cuban
constitution, the entitlement of industrial and sugar workers to a portion of company
pro ts, and moderate land reform. Widely regarded as an early articulation of the
objectives of the Cuban Revolution, the speech has been condensed for the
purposes of this website.
fi
fi
Castro's "History will absolve me" speech
Quotes

"I know that imprisonment will be harder for me than it has

ever been for anyone, filled with cowardly threats and
hideous cruelty. But I do not fear prison, as I do not fear
the fury of the miserable tyrant who took the lives of 70 of
my comrades. Condemn me. It does not matter. History
will absolve me."