Articles

Herrera Tiro, L., Fernández Pérez, J. y García Anaya, A. (2016). A chief guerrilla fighter's memoirs guantanamero

0000-0001-5767-4354Eider Boloy González^{1  *} 

¹Universidad de Guantánamo, Cuba

The book “Memories of guerrilla chief of Guantanamo", is the faithful testimony that gathers the experiences of the captain of the Rebel Army Luis Herrera Tito who is fraternally known as Wicho. Moments lived during the armed struggle to defeat the bloody tyranny of the dictator Fulgencio Batista Zaldívar, from 1956 to 1958, together with the Guantanamo´s generation in the attacks to the power plants La Hermita (Costa Rica), Soledad (El Salvador) and in the Sierra de Canasta, very close to the Yankee Naval Base in Caimanera, where they provided logistical support to the armed forces of the regime, supplied deadly bombs to the enemy aviation, which they dropped on the territory liberated by the rebel forces, to assassinate defenseless civilians.

(^{Herrera, et al, 2016})

As described, upon the arrival of Commander Raúl Castro and the constitution of the Second Eastern Front Frank País, this group was the basis for the organization of Company B Asdrúbal López Vázquez, Column 6 Juan Manuel Ameijeiras Delgado, of which he was second in command.

With simplicity, precision and truthfulness in his stories, Wicho describes the details and experiences of those guerrillas, who once they took up arms, developed diverse missions in compliance with the instructions of the 26th of July Revolutionary Movement in Guantanamo.

The book gathers the glorious moments of Wicho's guerrilla life and thus settles a debt with the army general Raúl Castro Ruz, who was the chief of the Second Eastern Front Frank País, with whom he had the honor of fighting under his orders. It shows several images of the meeting of these brave men.

The book's table of contents is composed of:

• Acknowledgments.

• By way of prologue.

• To the reader.

• Why the name of Asdrubal Lopez Vazquez to Company B of the Second Eastern Front?

• Sierra Canasta. War scenario.

• Background of the beginning of the armed struggle against the tyrant.

• 1957: Consolidation of the Wicho group.

• 1958: Decisive year of the guerrilla struggle.

• Incorporation of the Wicho group to the Second Eastern Front Frank País.

• First operations of the Wicho group integrated to the Second Frank País Eastern Front.

• The advance towards the last redoubt.

• The victory of the rebel forces is glimpsed.

• Biographical synthesis.

• Annexes: Organization chart of Company B Asdrubal Lopez Vazquez; Company B Asdrubal Lopez Vazquez: Headquarters in Limoncito-Bayate; Staff of Los VolteosLimoncito camp; Reserve platoon in Limoncito headquarters, under the command of Hilario Ge Benítez, with 24 men; Mobile platoon in the entire front of Monte Sano, Sierra Canasta-Jobito; Platoon that defended the palisade of La Cidra, under the command of Ponciano Potrillé Nápoles; Advanced of Cupeyal in the area of Pozo Azul, subordinated to the platoon under the command of Carlos Sánchez Ricardo; Personnel of Company B transferred to the Command of Column 6 Juan Manuel Ameijeiras; Numerical summary of Company B Asdrúbal López Vázquez, of Column 6 Juan Manuel Ameijeiras; Summary of the armament of Company B. Includes transfers; List of collaborators of Company B Asdrúbal López Vázquez; Diagrams of the main actions of Company B Asdrúbal López Vázquez; Document of Captain Luis Herrera tito.

Referencias bibliográficas

Herrera Tiro, L., Fernández Pérez, J. y García Anaya, A. (2016). Las memorias de un jefe guerrillero guantanamero

Received: October 02, 2021; Accepted: December 10, 2021

^*Autor para la correspondencia: [e-mail]