When we speak of our martyrs is not fair to only mention their deeds, but of how they gave their lives to see their homeland free from tyranny.
Luis Fernández Quiroga was the founder of the July 26yh Movement in his hometown, Nuevitas. His revolutionary work was not only seen in his beloved city, where he was born on June 21st, 1925, but was extended to the city of Camagüey and to the East where he fought.
Encounter with teaching
He started his studies at the rural school located in La Prudenciana Estate. There he obtains excellent grades and wins the Flor Martiana award, in 1938, for which he traveled to Havana to receive said award.
He begins his working life at the age of 18 in the Consolidated Railways of Cuba as a stoker. There he won the sympathy of all workers in the sector, later becoming a leader for the struggles against the injustices of labor problems. Eager to start a family similar to his, he married Antonia Ríos Basulto and a girl was born to whom they named Mireya.
Revolutionary growth
In 1950 he became a member of the Young Cuba Organization together with the combatant Ángel Gutiérrez, then in 1955 he made contact with the July 26th Movement in Camagüey, where he was instructed to organize the movement in Nuevitas. He meets with a group of colleagues and guides them in the work they had to undertake against the dictatorship, and at that time he held the position of 2nd chief of action and sabotage.
Together with a group of comrades, he participated in the burning of the Chalet de Pastelillo, where he seized 13 shotguns from the foreman of the SINCLAIR company in Pastelillo, called Gelacio Oviedo; weapons that served the M-26-7 in particular to be used in the April 9th Strike. In it, a group of 23 comrades met, giving the order in the Pastelillo area to climb the hill to sabotage the train from that place.
Around 7 at night the train passed and the objectives set were met; but when harassed by the guards, Luís ordered the group to hide in the forest and to come out little by little; The news reached Héctor Conde, coordinator of the movement, that the strike had failed, the power went out and little by little they left the place.
Nuevitas was his stage
He participated in the organization of the landing on the beaches of Nuevitas on March 13th itself, in order to leave for Sierra del Escambray.
Luis, together with his sister, Argentina, transported explosive material to Nuevitas to make firecrackers that would be used in different sabotages in the city. He was surprised in Tarafa at the moment when he was lighting up the railway station, if it had not been for Luis’ bravery and intelligence, all those who were in the action would not have been able to escape.
His situation in the town was increasingly compromised, so he decided to go to the mountains together with several comrades. On August 27th, 1958 in Monte Grande he was killed by an enemy ambush, next to him Ángel Gutiérrez perished.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
