{"id":5995,"date":"2022-03-08T11:57:23","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T11:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/?p=5995"},"modified":"2022-03-08T13:55:39","modified_gmt":"2022-03-08T13:55:39","slug":"the-revolutionary-life-of-celia-sanchez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/the-revolutionary-life-of-celia-sanchez\/","title":{"rendered":"The revolutionary life of Celia S\u00e1nchez"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Celia in the Sierra 1958<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On this International Women\u2019s Day we focus on the revolutionary life of Celia S\u00e1nchez. S\u00e1nchez\u2019s transition into an anti-Batista revolutionary began when a little peasant girl known to her, Maria Ochoa, was kidnapped by the Mafia-run casinos to be prostituted out to paedophile tourists and was subsequently murdered. This grotesque murder combined with the inspiration drawn from the Moncada Barracks attack, utterly changed S\u00e1nchez\u2019s life trajectory onto a path of resistance that placed her centrally in the evolving circumstances that sealed the fate of the Batista regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Celia in the Sierra Maestra 1956 or 1957.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Founder of the 26th<\/sup> of July Movement in Manzanillo, she went on to play a central role in organising the 1956 Granma landing from Cuban soil. Her quick actions in the days after the Granma strayed 13 miles away from the intended destination, where she was waiting with transport, led to her being credited with saving the lives of Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and the other 13 survivors of the ill-fated landing from death or capture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Celia S\u00e1nchez and Haydee Santamaria present Fidel with a rifle in 1956<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the year after the Granma, S\u00e1nchez opened vital supply lines to the rebels in the Sierra Maestra. She sent money, food and supplies and opened lines of communication that were sorely needed. S\u00e1nchez became the first female guerrilla in the Maestra and soon was in the thick of the action, opening up arms supply lines, organising publicity and directing attacks. Her determination and courage inspired the revolutionaries to push their limits and seize their victories. By 1958 she had cofounded the Mariana Grajales Women\u2019s Battalion operating out of La Plata in the Sierra Maestra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fidel and Celia stop off in Cienfuegos on the caravan from Santiago de Cuba January 1959.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after the victory of the revolution, in April 1959, S\u00e1nchez went with Fidel on a 12-day trip to the US. Vice President Richard Nixon had managed to get President Eisenhower offside on a golf trip leaving Nixon alone to meet the Cubans.\u00a0 The talks soon took a turn for the worse with Nixon becoming increasingly confrontational. Back in Cuba, a defiant S\u00e1nchez wrote “The Batistianos will never regain control of Cuba as long as I live or as long as Fidel lives.” This was a promise that she was determined to uphold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Celia in the Sierra 1958<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the years that followed, through Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the US embargo, the multiple assassination attempts, and the building of a new socialist economy, S\u00e1nchez\u2019s insight and advice proved crucial to Fidel in the development of revolutionary strategy and policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celia S\u00e1nchez tended to avoid the limelight and deflected attention from her central role in the building of socialism in Cuba. Her contribution to the revolution and the dependency of the success of the 26th<\/sup> of July Movement on her cool head and focus remains to be fully recognised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S\u00e1nchez served in the Cuban government in the Department of Services of the Council of State until her death from lung cancer in January 1980.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She was but one of the women revolutionaries who played a full and equal role in the Cuban revolution and in the establishment of a more just and equal socialist society in the wake of the corrupt and decadent capitalist dictatorship of Batista.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On this International Women\u2019s Day we focus on the revolutionary life of Celia S\u00e1nchez. S\u00e1nchez\u2019s transition into an anti-Batista revolutionary began when a little peasant […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101011,"featured_media":6000,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8,43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cuba","category-featured"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6043,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/the-true-adventure-of-a-19-year-old-north-american-fighting-in-the-cuban-revolution-with-fidel-castro\/","url_meta":{"origin":5995,"position":0},"title":"The True Adventure of a 19-year-old North American Fighting in the Cuban Revolution with Fidel Castro","author":"Editorial Team","date":"March 25, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Book Review:\u00a0Wild Green Oranges,\u00a0by Bob Baldock.\u00a0(Clapton Press, London, 2021, 238 pages) Wild Green Oranges\u00a0describes how author Bob Baldock dropped out of college and was at loose ends in 1958. Then he became inspired after a chance viewing of a newsreel. It was about a band of rebels in the remote\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cuba"","block_context":{"text":"Cuba","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/3-25-cuba-roger.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2514,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/moncadas-significance-in-cuban-revolutionary-history\/","url_meta":{"origin":5995,"position":1},"title":"Moncada\u2019s Significance in Cuban Revolutionary History","author":"Editorial Team","date":"August 1, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ramona Wadi The ashes of former Cuban President Fidel Castro are driven past the Moncada Army Barracks, where Castro led a failed assault in 1953 that sparked the movement that eventually toppled the U.S.-backed government of dictator Fulgencio Batista, in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, December 3, 2016. REUTERS\/Ivan Alvarado\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Moncada-Fidel-930x520-1.jpg?fit=930%2C520&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Moncada-Fidel-930x520-1.jpg?fit=930%2C520&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Moncada-Fidel-930x520-1.jpg?fit=930%2C520&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/Moncada-Fidel-930x520-1.jpg?fit=930%2C520&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2457,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/anniversary-of-cubas-national-rebellion-day-an-opportunity-for-reflection-on-two-close-friends\/","url_meta":{"origin":5995,"position":2},"title":"Anniversary of Cuba\u2019s National Rebellion Day \u2013 an opportunity for Reflection on two close Friends.","author":"Editorial Team","date":"July 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"July 26 marks the anniversary of an important event in the revolutionary history of Cuba. On that day in 1953, a group of under 150 rebels led by Fidel Castro launched an attack on the Moncada garrison in Santiago de Cuba that is remembered today as National Day of Rebellion\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Cuba"","block_context":{"text":"Cuba","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/cuba\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/f0174561.jpg?fit=700%2C664&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/f0174561.jpg?fit=700%2C664&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/f0174561.jpg?fit=700%2C664&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/f0174561.jpg?fit=700%2C664&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6865,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/the-ongoing-infowar-against-cuba-from-the-moncada-assault-to-the-embargo\/","url_meta":{"origin":5995,"position":3},"title":"The Ongoing Infowar Against Cuba: From the Moncada Assault to the Embargo","author":"Editorial Team","date":"July 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Cuba has a harsh and long history from the days of the Spanish colonisation, the killings of indigenous people, slavery, etc. that finally took a major turn for socialist gains in the mid-20th century. Cubans fought two wars to become independent from Spain in the 19th century. Those wars were\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Featured"","block_context":{"text":"Featured","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/news\/featured\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/havana-2-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/havana-2-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/havana-2-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/havana-2-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/havana-2-2.jpeg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2326,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/shortly-after-prison-release-mandela-visited-fidel\/","url_meta":{"origin":5995,"position":4},"title":"Shortly After prison Release Mandela Visited Fidel.","author":"Editorial Team","date":"August 7, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Soon after the South African freedom fighter was liberated from prison he visited his comrade Fidel Castro in Cuba. One of the first things that the late leader and revolutionary Nelson Mandela did after being released\u00a0from prison in 1991 was to visit late Cuban President Fidel Castro in Havana.\u00a0 Mandela\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "History"","block_context":{"text":"History","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/fidel-and-nelson.jpeg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/fidel-and-nelson.jpeg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/fidel-and-nelson.jpeg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/fidel-and-nelson.jpeg?fit=960%2C540&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2551,"url":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/cuba-challenges-historical-manipulation-and-media-war\/","url_meta":{"origin":5995,"position":5},"title":"Cuba challenges historical manipulation and media war","author":"Editorial Team","date":"August 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Our adversaries persist in presenting the 1940s and 50s in pre-revolutionary Cuba as a \u201cgolden age,\u201d while the reality was one of sharp inequality, deep contradictions, and economic crisis There are those who persist in presenting the 1940s and 1950s in pre-revolutionary Cuba as a time of prosperity and abundance.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "History"","block_context":{"text":"History","link":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/category\/history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/old-havana.jpg?fit=700%2C875&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/old-havana.jpg?fit=700%2C875&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/old-havana.jpg?fit=700%2C875&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/old-havana.jpg?fit=700%2C875&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3xdTY-1yH","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/ceilia.jpeg?fit=179%2C282&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5995","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101011"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5995"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5995\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6000"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5995"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5995"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cubasupport.ie\/latest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5995"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}