by Gloria La Riva
Friday, Jul. 27, 2001 at 2:11 AM
"If we win tomorrow, we will achieve that much faster what José Martí aspired to.
"If the opposite were to occur, the action will serve as an example to the people of Cuba, to raise
the flag and continue forward. The people will support us in Oriente [province] and in the whole
island.
"As in 1868 and 1895, here in Oriente we raise the first shout of ‘Freedom or Death!’"
Fidel Castro Ruz addressing the Moncada combatants at dawn on July 26, 1953.
Workers World
Aug. 6, 1998
Moncada Day in Cuba
Revolutionary and strong
By Gloria La Riva
Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
On July 26, the people of Cuba celebrated the 45th anniversary of the heroic "Moncada assault,"
an event recognized as the opening shot of the revolutionary struggle against the U.S.-backed
dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista.
On that day, July 26, 1953, 26-year-old Fidel Castro led 134 other young revolutionaries to attack
the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba. It was his belief that armed struggle to
overthrow Batista was the only option left for the Cuban people to achieve a just society, after
Batista carried out a military coup d
www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/cuban-revolution.htm
Original: Moncada Day in Cuba