The car drove at speed towards the Moncada barracks in Santiago de Cuba. At 6 a.m., there was little other traffic about. As it approached the main gate, a patrol of soldiers armed with machine guns emerged. This was unexpected bad luck for the young lawyer, Fidel Castro, who was leading an armed uprising against the Cuban government.
As Castro and the other men got out of the car, a gun battle began. The date was 26 July 1953, and Castro’s was the first of a convoy of 16 cars, which were leading the attack on the barracks. Meanwhile other groups, including one led by his brother Raul, began coordinated attacks on other public buildings.
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