Those who participated in the events of the Moncada garrison, that July 26, 1953, say that all the assailants were dressed in military uniforms because the essence of the plan was in surprise and, from the hand of that, in the first hours it would be assumed that the assault had been a movement organized from within by sergeants of the regime.

Fidel Castro himself declared, more than once, that the plan had been worked out in a millimeter way and even went so far as to assert that it had been very difficult to get things to go well, in every detail, to arrive gracefully in the morning of the Holy Ana.

The group of 1,200 men trained for the action had learned very well the art of conspiracy. They had already lost a mimeograph and even a radio station that they had tried to make before, so when they were serious about the armed assault, they understood that compartmentalization was a key to the success of the action.

A fully trusted executive joined Fidel Castro, only two more colleagues. They were the three main bosses and, therefore, the only ones who knew the details of the plan inside out.

On the one hand Renato Guitar, the only person from Santiago participating in the action; on the other, Abel Santamaría, the second head of the Movement, who was appointed for the action of the Military Hospital precisely for that reason, it was necessary to protect his life and they gave him the apparently less risky position.

They were always clear that, after the assault, the road was in irregular warfare. Things, however, got out of control when the assailants exchanged with a post, apparently placed in the middle of the carnival festivities and the surprise was no longer a determining factor.

Then came the retreat, the bloodbath that stained the streets of Santiago de Cuba, the days hidden on the hills, the capture, and that "ideas are not killed," very quietly said, which saved the life of Fidel Castro and marked, in some way, the path of Cuba.

Sixty-eight years have already passed and, still, the courage of the assailants compromises us; their bravery makes us feel proud, and the dedication of their young lives continues to mark the fertile milestone of freedom in these lands.