In the combat carried out in the town “24 de Miranda”, the prominent combatant Roberto Estévez Ruz, who belonged to the guerrilla movement of the rebel forces on the Second Eastern Front Frank País, was mortally wounded on July 24th, 1958.

Estévez Ruz was born in the municipality of Vertientes, belonging to Camagüey city, on April 4th, 1938. From an early age he joined the revolutionary movement. He participated in the fight against the Batista tyranny together with Francisco and Jorge Mendoza with whom he carried out some sabotage actions.

He, together with René Vallina, sent Raúl García Peláez, in Camagüey, funds that he obtained by selling bonds for the July 26th Movement.

When celebrating the anniversary of the coup d’état on March 10th in the town of Vertientes, several sabotages were carried out by young people of the stature of Roberto who, together with others, demolished the bridge over “La Fela” stream, on the railway line, approximately three kilometers from the town, a chain was also thrown over the power line that caused a blackout.

When the blackout occurred, the guards left the barracks in pursuit of the alleged perpetrators. Roberto was captured by an accusation and brutally tortured.

Together with a group, he was taken to a Camagüey prison on March 12th, 1957, accused of the crime of sabotage, and when they were tried by the emergency court, they were acquitted on the 28th of the same month for lack of evidence.

Estévez Ruz seized the moment and went to the eastern region where the guerrilla movement had consolidated, thus achieving an outstanding work in the war against the tyrant.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García