Operation Verano begins

A rebel appeal urged coordinated civil resistance, sabotage and armed action to remove Batista.

The July 26 Movement called a nationwide strike, but inadequate coordination and government repression caused it to fail.

Police and military units killed or arrested activists, exposing weaknesses between the urban underground and guerrilla leadership.

Police and soldiers occupied workplaces and streets, while participating workers risked dismissal, arrest and death.

The broadcast defended the failed strike movement, condemned Batista’s repression and insisted that the armed struggle would continue.

The government offensive combined military pressure with bombing and forced movement in areas suspected of supporting the rebels.

Rebel forces resisted the government’s summer offensive in difficult mountain terrain.

Guides, scouts and local knowledge allowed a much smaller force to resist Batista’s army in the mountains.

The army failed to break through the rebel defensive zone, beginning the reversal of Operation Verano.

Rebels surrounded an army battalion near La Plata, cutting its supplies and communications.