The Movement and the Moncada Barracks attack
Castro fomred a group called "The Movement" which operated along a clandestine
cell system, publishing underground newspaper El Acusador (the Accuser),
and at the same time he was arming and training anti-Batista recruits. In July of 1952
The Movement went on a recruitment drive, gaining them around 1,200 memebers in a year!
Although Fidel Castro was a revolutionary socialist, he avoided an alliance with the communist
Popular Socalist Party (PSP), fearing it would frighten away political moderates,
but kept in contact with the PSP members.
The Raiding of the Spanish barracks
Castro gathered 165 revolutionaries for the mission, ordeering his troops not to cause bloodshed unless
they met armed resistance. The attack took place on July 26, 1953, and faced trouble from the start; 3 of the
16 cars tat set out from Santiago failed to get there. When
The Movement was reaching the barracks the larm was raised and most of the rebels were pinned down by
machine gun fire, four being killed before a retreat was ordered from Castro. The final death toll was
6 fatalities and 15 other casualties for the rebels and 19 dead and 27 wounded from the Spanish guards.
The Movement were gathered up, some exicuted and others, including Castro,
were transported to a prison north of Santiago.
