Anyone familiar with Cuba will be aware of the great victory of the socialist revolutionaries over the dictator, Batista, in 1959. What is less well known, however, is the prominent role that women played in that success. From the very beginning, Cuban women were to the fore in the fight against fascism and oppression. They were present in the attack on Moncada Barracks that preceded the central war. They fought bravely throughout the conflict and they remained in the military after the war was won.
As Tete Puebla, second-in-command of the female Mariana Grajales Platoon, said;
‘Women in Cuba have always been on the front line of struggle. At Moncada we had Yeye and Melba. With the Granma and November, 30th, we had Celia, Vilma and many other companeros. There were many women comrades who were tortured and murdered. From the beginning there were women in the Revolutionary Armed Forces.’
The following is a tip of the hat in respect to the brave and strong females of Cuba who gave their all for the cause of national independence and justice.
Rebel Voice 