Cuban revolutionaries, including Fidel Castro (far left) and Che Guevara (center), in Havana in 1960.

On this day in 1959, U.S.-backed Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the country following the victory of Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement (M-26-7) at the Battle of Santa Clara, marking the successful conclusion of the Cuban Revolution.

The 26th of July Movement takes its name from the date of with a failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953, however, the movement bearing this name was not formally organized until the attackers were released from prison in 1955. Public resistance continued sporadically until November 1956, when 80 members of the M-26-7 returned from exile.

Soon after landing on the island, a separate revolutionary group, the “Directorio Revoluncionari Estudiantil” (DRE), unsuccessfully attempted an attack on the Presidential Palace in Havana.

Throughout 1957, armed resistance from groups such as the DRE and M-26-7 would escalate. After a failed offensive by the government against rebels in the summer of 1958, the rebels launched a major counter-offensive.

On December 28th, 1958, after a fraudulent election in favor of Batista, revolutionary forces reached the city of Santa Clara. Seizing equipment from an armored train intended to transport government reinforcements, the rebels quickly captured the city, prompting Batista to panic and flee to the Dominican Republic with a personal fortune of more than $300 million.

In the following days, revolutionary forces entered Havana with no resistance, and Castro established a provisional government. The 26th of July Movement later reformed along Marxist–Leninist lines, becoming the Communist Party of Cuba in October 1965.

Batista later settled in fascist Spain, dying there in 1973 at the age of 72.

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  • WIIHAPPYFEW [any, any]@hexbear.net
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    3 months ago

    lmao at how I went from OH SHIT IT’S FUCKING HAPPENING when I woke up from my nap to learn jan 6 was happening to being instantly reminded of the deep incompetence of the entirety of the magasphere, we still remember you via getty :,(

    • WIIHAPPYFEW [any, any]@hexbear.net
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      3 months ago

      Watching live coverage from then rn, one stream had some boomer lady get hyped abt a pepe cosplayer being there while the reporter on the pbs news feed recounted meeting a protestor admitting that he was just wandering around the fields because there wasn’t anything to do in the capitol

      • WIIHAPPYFEW [any, any]@hexbear.net
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        3 months ago

        We never talk abt how it took place while a 9/11’s worth of ppl were dying from covid every week so there’s no way any of these dupes went home or to jail without their lungs being under siege

        • WIIHAPPYFEW [any, any]@hexbear.net
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          3 months ago

          Some guy is “now” proudly proclaiming that “everything on earth will now be 50% off” and so many ppl there are (were) asking him his name and whether or not he’s a troll lmfao

          • WIIHAPPYFEW [any, any]@hexbear.net
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            3 months ago

            Guy shouting abt “YOU SHOULD’VE SHOT ANTEEFUH WHILE YOU WERE AT IT, UNFORTUNATELY YOU ONLY SHOT US INSTEAD” frothingfash

            Meanwhile a lady is shouting “I’LL NEVER VOTE AGAIN”, the hogs are telling the pigs that they’d roll the red carpet out for ANTEEFUH like im doing an impersonation of them lmfao

    • CommunistBear [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      3 months ago

      I remember watching it and being pissed that those clowns were the ones to do it. Realistically, Jan 6th was a once in a generation opportunity to cut the head off the snake and they fumbled it because ultimately they’re just a bunch of feral hogs. The ruling class will not make the mistake of allowing something like that to happen again any time soon