Haydée Speaks of Moncada: The Spark that Lit the Cuban Revolution
The voice of this book is that of Haydée Santamaria, one of the most notable figures of the Cuban revolution, one of two women involved in the attack on the Moncada barracks on July 26, 1953.
First published by Casa de las Americas in 1985, this edition includes a foreword describing episodes in the life of Haydée, including an account of the attack on Moncada, and the outcome for those involved. After the attack, Haydée was arrested, imprisoned, tortured and lost many of her comrades including her brother, Abel, and her fiancé.
The foreword describes Haydée’s life after the events of Moncada, both before and after the triumph of the revolution. She co-founded the July26 movement against the Batista dictatorship, and later held important positions in the new government, travelling widely internationally as a representative of the Cuban revolution. In Havana she created the Casa de las Americas, working for cultural integration between Latin America and the Caribbean following the ideas of Martí and Bolívar.
The most important part of the book is the transcript of a discussion held in 1968 between Haydée and students. The conversation gives a unique glimpse into her personal experience of fighting at the front line and playing her part in building the revolution. Haydée talks lovingly about her brother Abel who was killed early on, and comrades who died later in the Sierra Maestra or at Girón (Bay of Pigs invasion). She also spoke about her first meeting with Fidel, and how she understood him to be the best person for the leader, although before that she believed in Abel for that role. The discussion with the students is very honest, and shows Haydée to be a modest and self-effacing comrade as she speaks passionately about her experiences, and her feelings about the events.
There have been several books written about the attack on the Moncada barracks and this book complements them with its focus on one the experiences of one person. In addition it serves as an excellent introduction to the life and work of this extraordinary woman, and years later Haydée’s testimony serves as a reference for the long fight of the Cuban people in achieving sovereignty, dignity and building a socialist project.
Wendy Emmett for CubaSi magazine April 2025
