History Will Absolve Me

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Events
Cuban Revolution

Timeline
Attack on Moncada Barracks "History Will Absolve Me" speech Granma boat landing Operation Verano Battle of La Plata Battle of Las Mercedes Battle of Yaguajay Battle of Santa Clara
General articles
26th of July Movement Che Guevara's involvement in the Cuban Revolution Chivatos - Radio Rebelde
People
Fidel Castro - Fulgencio Batista Ernesto "Che" Guevara - Frank País Raúl Castro - Camilo Cienfuegos Celia Sánchez - Huber Matos William Alexander Morgan Carlos Franqui - Vilma Espín

History Will Absolve Me (Spanish:"La historia me absolverá") is the concluding sentence and subsequent title of a four hour speech made by Fidel Castro on October 16, 1953. Castro made the speech in his own defense in court against the charges brought against him after leading an attack on the Moncada Barracks. Though no record of Castro's words was kept, he reconstructed them later for publication in what was to become the manifesto of his 26th of July Movement. The trial helped propel Castro into the public consiousness as a leading figure in the resistance to the government of Fulgencio Batista.

Though sentenced to terms of up to 15 years for their roles in the Moncada attack^{sentences[›]}, all of the rebels were released after an amnesty in 1956. Castro relocated to Mexico before returning to Cuba on the Granma yacht alongside other revolutionaries including Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Together they fomented the Cuban revolution that was to take power in 1959.

1 Castro's first court appearance
2 Castro's speech and sentence
- 2.1 Details of the Speech
3 Source notes
4 Content notes
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Castro's first court appearance

Fidel Castro under arrest in July 1953 after the Moncada attack

Castro made his first court appearance on 21 September 1953 in Santiago, where he defended around 100 other defendants arrested after the Moncada attack. Castro, as a qualified lawyer took on their defense basing his case on the illegality of the Batista regime and the inherent right of the citizen to rebel against what he perceived to be an illegal government. When asked who was responsible for the attack, Castro replied that "the intellectual author of this revolution is José Marti, the apostle of our independence".

Castro's defense was so successful that only 26 prisoners were found guilty and most were treated leniently. Castro's brother Raùl, a leader of the attack, was sentenced to 13 years on what was then called the Isle of Pines. While he was incarcerated awaiting trial, efforts were made to poison Fidel Castro to prevent him from appearing in court.^[1]

[edit] Castro's speech and sentence

Prison Presidio Modelo on the Isle of Pines where the Castro brothers were incarcerated. The block where they and the other Moncadistas were imprisoned is now a museum. (Photo taken in December 2005.)

Castro was brought before a different court on 16 October 1953 for sentencing. It was here that he reportedly made his four hour speech justifying his actions and outlining his plans for Cuba. During the trial, public outrage at the treatment of the prisoners was seriously diminishing Batista's standing among the population. A local judge telephoned Batista's staff to complain that Batista was reviving the brutal era of former president Gerardo Machado, while a Santiago bishop called upon the courts to spare Castro's life and sought support from Cuba's upper class Catholic contingent. Though Castro was sentenced to join his brother in prison for 15 years, the trial elevated him to semi-heroic status on the island. ^[1]

[edit] Details of the Speech

Castro's speech contained numerous evocations of the "father of Cuban independence" José Marti, whilst depicting Batista as a tyrant. According to Castro, Batista was a "monstrum horrendum ... without entrails" who had committed an act of treachery in 1933 when he initiated a coup to oust Cuban president Ramón Grau. Castro went on to speak of the "700,000 unemployed workers", launching an attack on Cuba's extant healthcare and schooling asserting that 30% of Cuba's farm people couldn't even write their own names.

In Castro's published manifesto, based on his 1953 speech, he gave details of the "five revolutionary laws" he wished to see implemented on the island.

The reinstatement of the 1940 Cuban constitution.
A reformation of land rights.
The right of industrial workers to a 30% share of company profits.
The right of sugar workers to receive 55% of company profits.
The confiscation of holdings of those found guilty of fraud under previous administrative powers.

[edit] Source notes

^ ^a ^b Hugh Thomas. Cuba : The pursuit of freedom. p550

[edit] Content notes

^ sentences: "A total of 29 rebels came up for trial in Santiago between September 21 and October 16, 1953; four (including Fidel's brother, Raúl) were sentenced to 13 years in prison, 20 to 10 years, three to three years, and the two women to seven months. Fidel Castro received a term of 15 years, following an extempore speech lasting four hours, 'History Will Absolve Me', which he wrote up in prison and smuggled out in matchboxes for publication. It soon became famous as the authoritative political manifesto of 'Castroism'." Source: Volker Skierka, Fidel Castro: A Biography. Polity Press, 2004, p 36.

[edit] References

Richard Gott. Cuba : A new history. p150-152
Skierka, Volker. Fidel Castro: A Biography. Polity Press, 2004. ISBN 0745630065
Hugh Thomas. Cuba : The pursuit of freedom Book eight.