The students of the trade school, created by the Office of the Historian, honor Francisco Sánchez Betancourt, by carrying out educational projects that make it possible to bring back life to heritage sites that tell the history of this land.
But as the anniversary of his death approaches, I think it is fair to review who this patriot was.
Francisco Sánchez Betancourt
He was the son of one of the most prominent families in the city. On June 12th, 1852, he got married to Concepción Agramante Boza, Concha Agramonte, with whom he had ten children: four girls and six boys.
Francisco participated in all the conspiracies, which ended in the creation of the Tínima Lodge and the Uprising of Las Clavellinas.
Although his health condition was deteriorated due to tuberculosis, he joined the insurgent forces since the beginning with his children. Concha followed him to live for a few months in Guáimaro, a town that was in the hands of the insurgents.
Other achievements
On February 26th, 1869, the Sibanicú municipality hosted the elections that would form the Assembly of Representatives of the Center, composed of the patriots Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, Ignacio Agramonte, Eduardo Agramonte Piña, Antonio Zambrana Vázquez and Francisco Sánchez Betancourt, who had the honor of writing and signing a decree in favor of the abolition of slavery in Cuba.
It was also important his participation in the Assembly of Representatives of the Center and later in that of Guáimaro, where he was elected representative of the Chamber, a seat in which he remained until the end of the war, resisting all the vicissitudes of his health, and always pursued by Spanish troops.
Back in their hometown, the Sánchez-Agramonte couple gave decisive support to José Martí’s plans that were preparing the quest of 95. When the fighting began in the province, five of Francisco and Concha’s children marched to the battlefield. Due to her advanced age, she stayed in the city as a link between the young people who came from other places to join the insurrection.
Francisco died of the disease that afflicted him, on August 30th, 1894, but his family continued in the battle field. In recent years the trade school that bears his name honors the patriot of Camagüey, helping to preserve the Agramonte heritage, the last name that has the imprint of so many children.
Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García
