The massacre that took place on November 20^th, 1958 in Cabañas settlement left deep marks in the heart of all Cubans. Just a few days after the revolutionary triumph, Fulgencio Batista’s tyranny together with his hired henchmen performed one of the most horrifying crimes that the historical memory will never forget.

In this period the direction of the July 26^th Movement, facing the unstoppable advance of the Rebel Army, strengthened the actions of the guerrilla front around Havana province and Pinar del Rio, and particularly, in the outskirts of the Organos Range, in view to support the arrival of the western and central rebels from the national territory.

With that purpose July 26 groups in the region prepared a plan against the hired assassins of the dictatorship, which consisted on the harassment in an outfit of patrol cars of the sinister Military Intelligence Service –SIM- which were guarding the busses with the routes Guanajay-Bahia Honda. Batista’s henchmen had a long list of crimes in their dossiers.

A group of brave revolutionaries, headed by rebel captain Rogelio Payret –Claudio- devised a flash combative action and on November 16^th, 1958, having a date with the Homeland, they took position for an ambush in a cave known as "La Vigia" and they simultaneously act against the Military Intelligence Service’s henchmen who were habitually patrolling that zone. It brought about an intense shooting, the death of seven guards and they could take some weapons for the Movement.

Near, there was settled the garrison of the locality concentrating the dictatorship’s forces. It was very common to appreciate savagery acts against those living in the zone. And on the 20^th of the same month, with an unlimited aggressiveness, it started in all Cabañas and the outskirts, an implacable persecution against the rebels and other collaborators. Around 200 police followers and the regional intelligence were merciless with the inhabitants of the place. There were savagely murdered 22 young persons, after they had suffered unimaginable tortures.

Among the revolutionaries "Cabañas’ Martyrs", victims of this massacre, there are three sons from Martin Gamboa’s family; Pedro, Juan and Enrique. Other friends and struggle comrades, who were also massacred; Marcos Antonio Lafa, Francisco Rodriguez, Isidoro Roque, Domingo Alvarez, Carmelo Barrios, Roberto Nodarse, Leandrino and Modesto Trujillo, Hugo García, Vicente Alvarez, Leovigildo and Jose Trujillo, Gonzalo Rivero, Octavio Campos, Jose Benito Diaz, Celestino Moreno, Regino Ramos, and the brothers Bernardino and Jose Isabel Miranda.

Those survival comrades of the massacre and compatriots of the territory remember them in every work they do. All of them make grow in stature today the Cuban history for freedom and against tyranny and ignominy. They have the honorable place they deserve in the Homeland that saw them be born, grow and die. Their lives were not cut off in vain; the Revolution which they offered their valuable lives for will make them immortal for good.

Translator: Caridad Martinez Fernandez