By: Santiago Romero
Fidel from Cespedes Park, 65th Anniversary
Cespedes Park.- The most tragic thing was always the silence after the storms. Let time say it! The same time that blew away the foundations of each difficult journey! Where were those memories that could not be dispersed by the wind and the lack of love left? Where? In those «last days of the war» that today represent each one of our pages of the history of a January 1st of Victories.
This historical account begins here… CMKC broadcasting from Cespedes Park. The people embraced the rebels. The priest looked up at the winter sky. On the far right, the ruins of the house of Don Diego Velazquez in front, many devotees in the cathedral. To the left, by the Casagranda hotel, the onlookers. And closer, there were the tanks.
Cespedes Park.- The most tragic thing was always the silence after the storms. Let time say it! The same time that blew away the foundations of each difficult journey!
Raul Castro ordered to turn off the engines of the tanks, when the Cuban flag was raised from the top, from the central balcony of the City Hall of Santiago de Cuba, but the Commander in Chief had to make a titanic effort for his first speech to the people, with a small loudspeaker as local amplification, for the baptism of the First of January, of Victories!
«People from Santiago, fellow citizens of all Cuba: at last we have arrived in Santiago (applause). Hard and long has been the road, but we have arrived (applause) it was said that today at 2:00 in the afternoon we were expected in the capital of the republic, the first one surprised was me (applause), because I was one of the first surprised with that treacherous and rigged coup this morning in the capital of the republic (applause).”
There the agitated verse, the evocation of the still latent pain, from the walls of the Moncada, from the Granma, from the Sierra. Fidel added in his historic speech to the center of Cespedes Park: «Santiago de Cuba will be, according to the wish of the provisional president, according to the wish of the rebel army and according to the wish of the people of Santiago de Cuba, who deserve it, the capital (applause). Santiago de Cuba will be the provisional capital of the Republic! (applause). Perhaps this measure will surprise some people, it is a new measure, but that is precisely what the Revolution is known for, for doing things that have never been done before (applause).”
This is what Fidel said on January 1, 1959 from the balcony of the former City Hall where he added that «when we make Santiago de Cuba the provisional capital of the Republic, we know why we do it. It is not about demagogically flattering a certain locality, it is simply that Santiago has been the strongest bastion of the Revolution (applause).”
Fidel then added that «the Revolution begins now, the Revolution will not be an easy task, the Revolution will be a hard enterprise and full of dangers, especially in this initial stage, and what better place to establish the Government of the Republic than in this fortress of the Revolution; so that it is known that this is going to be a Government solidly supported by the people in the heroic city and at the foothills of the Sierra Maestra, because Santiago is in the Sierra Maestra. In Santiago de Cuba and in the Sierra Maestra the Revolution will have its two best fortresses», said the Commander in Chief.
Fidel’s oratory was outstanding, fulminating for the traditional speech that the people were used to hear, from now on it was different, a leader not improvised and full of strong evidence and many transparencies with the truth in hand:
«General Cantillo betrayed -underlined Fidel- and it is not that I am going to say it. The Revolution went ahead. This time, fortunately for Cuba, the Revolution really came to power. It was not like in 1895 when the Americans came and took over. They intervened at the last minute and then they didn’t even let in Calixto Garcia, who had fought for 30 years, they didn’t want him to enter Santiago de Cuba. It was not like in 1933 when the people began to believe that a Revolution was being made, Mr. Batista came, betrayed the Revolution, took over everything and established a dictatorship for eleven years. It was not like in 1944, the year in which the multitudes were aroused believing that the people had finally arrived. No thieves, no traitors, no interventionists. This time it was the Revolution».
It was transcendental to know that «the plan in all its details was: on the 31st, at 3:00 in the afternoon, the garrison of Santiago de Cuba would rise up. Immediately several rebel columns would penetrate into the city, and the people, with the military and the rebels, would immediately fraternize».
The news came as Fidel’s speech progressed: «A series of excesses have taken place in the capital: looting, shootings, arsons. All responsibility falls on General Cantillo for having betrayed.»
«Santiago de Cuba behaved exemplarily well, said Fidel (…) this time the mambises did enter Santiago de Cuba triumphantly». Fidel added that the combats would continue until the liberation of all Cuba, but Santiago was already sovereign.
This is how this province entered history, with a heroine capital city and in its outstanding role in those events that today are legends of 65 years of Revolution, which began at the gates of Santiago de Cuba.
Cespedes: Call for a day of decisive effort on the 65th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution
