POR Javier Rodriguez

Havana, Dec 29 (Prensa Latina) Recalling the dramatic events of the first day of 1959 they prove Fidel Castro´s firm stand frustrated Washington’s last effort to prevent the Cuban Revolutionary triumph.

   The situation of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship, established in the Island and supported by Washington since March 1952 for seven years, was really unsustainable late in 1958.

   The advance of the guerrillas in the Sierra Maestra mountains have already put them at the doors of Santiago de Cuba, the second most important city and headquarters of the second military fortress.

   The war Fidel Castro spread to the center of the nation by way of Ernesto Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos absolutely cut the territory in two with the assault on Santa Clara and other cities.

   This and other events gave way to Batista’s escape from the democratic republic supported by the US embassy in Cuba aimed to prevent rebel forces from achieving victory.

   Fidel Castro´s response was a coup d´grace to such strategy: he ordered guerrillas to go forward to Havana, giving a few-hour deadline to Santiago de Cuba garrison to lay down their arms and call for a general strike.

   Fidel Castro´s strong position destroyed the US plan and Piedra and Cantillo's government who disappeared while the people began taking to the streets.

   US administration "think tanks" were wrong again like in the assault to Moncada Garrison and the landing of 82 expeditionaries of the Gramma yacht. 

(Prensa Latina) 29-12-2006