Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel remembered Saturday the key revolutionary victory of Santa Clara when rebel forces led by then commander Ernesto “Che” Guevara derailed an armored train carrying dictator Fulgencio Batista’s troops.
Sixty years ago, on Dec. 29, 1958, Cuban revolutionary forces dealt a decisive blow to Batista’s army, paving the way for their advance to the capital city of Havana only three days later, on the first day of 1959.
“On Dec. 29, with the help of the people, the roads were full of barricades. To face the rebel’s advance airstrikes targeted the city but they could not prevent the derailment, attack, and surrender of the armored train,” Diaz-Canel said via Twitter.
Santa Clara, the fourth largest city in Cuba, was the only government stronghold left between the rebel July 26 movement, led by Fidel Castro, and Havana.
The government of Batista deployed a total of 3,500 soldiers to stop 350 guerrilla fighters under Guevara’s command. The battle started on Dec. 28 and in the afternoon of Dec. 29 they had taken over the armored train sent from Havana.
Batista fled the country shortly after learning of his defeat.
The iconic battle of Santa Clara is referred to throughout Cuban pop culture, including a popular song composed by Carlos Puebla in 1965 when Guevara decided to leave Cuba and join national liberations struggles in Congo and Bolivia.
“Your hand, glorious and strong / shoots towards history / when all Santa Clara / awakens to see you,” the song goes.
“For his brilliant leadership of the Battle of Santa Clara, #FidelCastro said Che was a ‘master of the war… an artist of guerrilla warfare.’ These days our beloved city celebrates that victory that inspires us. Happy 60th anniversary. #WeAreCuba,” Diaz-Canel tweeted.
On Tuesday Cubans will celebrate the revolutionary victory that forced dictator Fulgencio Batista to surrender power and paved the way for socialist economic and social reforms.
Cuban Presidency Calls to Celebrate the Triumph of the Revolution
Cuba”s Presidency has called on the nation today to celebrate on January 1 the triumph of the Revolution on its 60th anniversary and highlighted the main ceremony on the occasion planned for Santa Ifigenia cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.
‘We will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the triumph of the Cuban Revolution with Fidel, Marti, Cespedes and Mariana Grajales’, the presidential office wrote in its @PresidenciaCuba Twitter account.
In its message on the social network, the Presidency released statements made on the eve by the first secretary of the Communist Party in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba, Lazaro Exposito, with details about the celebration.
Exposito pointed out in the radio and television program ‘En Línea contigo’ (In line with your) that the event will be attended by a thousand people from Santiago, while another two thousand will be able to see it on a giant screen that will be placed in the Heredia theatre.
It also meant the symbolism that represents celebrating the triumph of the Revolution in the patrimonial cemetery that houses the remains of the historical leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro, the apostle of independence and national hero, Jose Marti, the mother of the homeland, Mariana Grajales, and other heroes.
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