This Month in Latin American History

The Granma, as it would have looked in 1956 November 25, 1956 The Granma Sets Sail from Mexico In 1955, having won an uncontested election to validate his reign as president of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista issued a pardon for the nation’s political prisoners, which included both Fidel and Raul Castro, who had been imprisoned for their failed attempt to spark a revolution against Batista on July 26, 1953. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the brothers fled to Mexico, where they began to re-form their organization, which they now dubbed the 26th of July movement. Working with other Cuban exiles (and the Argentine doctor Ernesto “Che” Guevara) and with rebels in the city of Santiago de Cuba, Castro made plans to lead a squad of exiles back to Cuba, with his arrival timed to coincide with an uprising in the city. In October of 1956 he bought the yacht Granma, wanting to use an ordinary civilian craft that would not arouse suspicion. However, the Granma was not fit for the voyage, nor was it built to accommodate the 82 men who set out for Cuba in late November. Castro and his forces arrived late, and the Cuban army was prepared for their arrival- only about 20 men made it off the beach outside of Santiago, fleeing into the mountains in hopes of keeping their movement alive. Today, Granma is the name of the official newspaper of the Cuban Communist Party. Want to know more? Take Latin American History! Contact Prof. Greg Hammond at [email protected]