Government forces retake Cienfuegos

Santiago police killed the leading organizer of the urban underground. His death provoked mass mourning and protest.

Large crowds joined the funeral procession despite repression, turning mourning into a public demonstration against the dictatorship.

Workers and communities in eastern Cuba stopped work, revealing the breadth of anti-Batista resistance beyond the mountains.

Rebel forces defeated an army detachment during the expansion of guerrilla operations in the Sierra Maestra.

Naval personnel and civilian revolutionaries seized key positions in Cienfuegos before government forces crushed the revolt.

The Rebel Army attacked an army position and strengthened its control of routes in the Sierra Maestra.

Rebel forces fought an army unit in the Sierra Maestra; commander Ciro Redondo was killed in the engagement.

The Rebel Army launched a coordinated attack against a larger government position.

The victory yielded weapons and reinforced the guerrillas’ capacity to resist larger government formations.

Che Guevara’s column established a rebel radio station that circulated news, instructions and political messages across Cuba.