The admiration that many of us feel for the figure of the guerrilla Ernesto Guevara is more interesting when we get to know about him from the stories of someone who was close to him in combat.

Antonio Fontes Carbajo from Camagüey had that privilege and in a diaphanous dialogue, in the living room of his house, accompanied by a good coffee, he humbly told me about his participation in the taking of the city of Santa Clara under the command of Che.

How Fontes arrived at Escambray?

After being heavily monitored in Camagüey, he went to Santi Espíritu, there a man of action did not have much to do, so he spoke with the Yayabo camp chief and authorized him to go to Che’s command, he walked near 14 hours through the hills until reaching the entrance.

The guard at the post, when asked where he came from, questioned his revolutionary character. Fontes got upset and they argued, but managed to go up to the camp, when he got to the top he was received by Jesús Suarez Gayol, with whom he had worked hard in Camagüey in his student period and after the close hug, he gave him free rein to enter.

They exempted him from training because he was already prepared and when December 1958 arrived, when Che’s offensive began in various cities, the take of Santa Clara began, they were all eager to participate.

They asked for a reinforcement of 50 men and in that group it was Fontes’ turn, it was difficult and they also needed more expert men, but once again Gayol choose him.

The combat of Santa Clara

The advance of the reinforcement was slow, a troop was in front and the enemy aviation bombed them. Ernesto and Aleida (his wife) appeared and encouraged the second troop that was already advancing along the road with very harsh words, so as not to waste time and close the line, their prestige encouraged the march and after a stop at the university, they distributed.

His position was to block the passage in an area, and then with his men he guarded the public works building and the prisoners who were already more than 100, captured in the previous combats.

The triumph

With January 1st came new dreams and a revolutionary project that Fidel had developed. At dawn on the third they took the fortress of La Cabaña, all poorly dressed and with few weapons, but with such determination that there was little resistance from Batista’s troops, who still remained in the fort.

Later, in the heat of those first days of the Revolution, they entrusted him with another mission, which he remembers with pleasure, because in that he was with the hero and was able to appreciate his virtues.

Alberto, the chief of his troop, sends him to guard the residence of a brother-in-law of Batista, while waiting some nuns arrived to meet with Che. While the ladies were waiting for the appointment, they asked him if the guerrilla was a communist.

He runs his hand through his foam-white hair and with a certain mischief he confesses that he did not know clearly at that moment if he was or not, since the word was still unknown, but his answer was firm; I do not know if he is a communist, but I assure you that he is a brave commander, a leader who has fought hard, side by side with each one of us.

Through his eyes

For the fighter from Camagüey, Antonio Fontes, who had the opportunity to fight under his command, Ernesto Guevara was an exemplary man in his life, in his actions and determinations, which contributed so much to the final victory on January 1st.

We have rekindled his memories and before the farewell one more emerges … As the days of January passed, Fontes wanted to return to his family, he had already been away from home for a long time and on January 20th, 1959, he had his biggest conversation with Che asking for his transfer to Camagüey, since the fight had ended, the Commander solemnly told him: the fight did not end, now the revolution begins.

Over the days he understood that Che was right, the triumph marked the beginning of a social project and its transformations, which to this day are underway.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García