Rebels Take Power in Cuba

In the early hours of 1 January 1959, General Fulgencio Batista fled Cuba, bringing an abrupt conclusion to nearly seven years of authoritarian rule. His departure opened the capital to insurgent forces and positioned a young lawyer named Fidel Castro at the helm of a national transformation. Batista had seized power in a military coup in March 1952, overthrowing the constitutional government of Carlos Prio Socarras just months before scheduled elections. The coup eliminated legitimate electoral channels, prompting several domestic opponents to conclude that armed insurrection remained the only viable method to restore political accountability.

The primary armed challenge took shape under the leadership of Fidel Castro and his brother Raul. On July 26, 1953, they launched an assault on the Moncada Barracks in eastern Cuba, intending to spark a broader rebellion. The attack failed, and many of the attackers were killed or captured; the Castro brothers were arrested and imprisoned. During his trial, Castro delivered a widely noted defense speech setting out grievances against the regime, winning him significant national prominence. After Batista granted an amnesty to many political prisoners in May 1955, Fidel Castro and his followers founded the 26th of July Movement, named for the date of the attack, and the Castro brothers soon went into exile in Mexico, where Fidel organized and trained Cuban exiles for an armed return.