On the way to a counterrevolution in Camagüey

By :Noel Manzanares Blanco

In the hall of the anniversary 50 of the separation of the plot contrarrevolutionary that in Camagüey headed Hubert Matos who occupied the headquarters of the Provincial Military Square in representation of the Rebellious Army, to big strides remember the followed road before arriving to its outcome that happened among the days October 20-21 1959 in that region of the Cuban east - to tone with an investigation of the author of these lines.

Obviating other antecedents, he should stand out that the Commandant Camilo Cienfuegos could verify amid the organization of the provincial act for May 1st. of that year (International Day of the Workers), the exclusion of the communists among the foreseen speakers, reason for which he insisted in that if it was not included representatives of the Popular Socialist Party (PSP), one could not speak of unit.

The intent of exclusion of the communists of that act, denoted two important aspects: one, how in spite of the positive steps in the fight against the dictatorship of Batista, the unit of the three organizations of vanguard political-revolutionary in that territory - Revolutionary Movement July 26(MR 26-7), PSP and Revolutionary Directory March 13 (DR 13-M) -was still far from reaching the necessary solidity; and two, how the anticommunism rose so that rebounded negatively in the cohesion popular revolutionary-organizational-masses - bases of the later division that headed Hubert Matos.

To the analysis of the last aspect is added that the aforenamed one made as much as was within its reach to impede the realization of the orientations given by Fidel Castro June 23, 1959 in Camagüey, in the sense of proceeding to the intervention of all the properties of livestock primers of more than 100 chivalries. There is a sample of the reason here between May and October of 1959 this county it didn't go at the same time of the intention of the Address of the Cuban Revolution in the topic of the earth in the region, attempting against the full realization of the poor peasant and of the citizenship in general.

It happened , against the grain that Camagüey was the county of the country that bigger percent exhibited (85,20) of people that were "Completely of agreement" with the 1ra Law of Agrarian Reformation, judging by the national survey of the magazine published Bohemia June 21 ,1959.

Another test of the reactionary attitude of Hubert Matos can be in that exposed by him in the Fair Cattle Exhibition of the municipality Guáimaro, October 4,1959, when he manifested:
"It is not the desire of putting an end to the rich ones, it is not capricious attitude moved by hates, but of making justice to the needy men that are entitled to have nurtured the lines of the Army Liberator that got off the Sierra. These men are ready to defend the Cuban Revolution , humanist 100 percent, Cuban and green olive because we won't allow that they paint it of another color."

Observe there the expression of negative elements and interrelated to each other: the exhortation to the non radicalization of the Revolution, the inclination to privilege to some and the stimulus to the indisposition.

The work of the contrarrevolutionary Commandant Matos in the county, although rotated around the concerning thing to the Agrarian Reformation, didn't except to pursue and to repress to militant and revolutionary leaders, stiller if was of communist.

The organization of the workers in the territory, in a particular way belonged object of attention from this traitor to the best ideals in the Rebellious Army. Present witness of the contrarrevolutionary task hubertmatist, remember that "after the elections in the Federations, was necessary to invite the boss from the Military Square to a 'Coffee of Honor', in which this gave approval to the elect and received to change back". To it are added their contacts with directive tune of the Student and Rural Associations, with the District attorney of the Audience, with the director of the newspaper Ahead and the reception that made of the own provincial coordinator of the MR 26-7.

This way, the marras gentleman ended up believing "leader" of the town of Camagüey, opted to send the Commandant in Boss Fidel Castro a letter "private" of renouncement to his headquarters in the Military Square of the county - received October 19,1959 - and previously he gave to know to their unconditional ones. It was about to boil the outcome of the plot contrarrevolutionary that had been knitted - for the less ones - since he arrived to this territory, after being designated for the referred headquarters January 12,1959.

Exactly the climax of this process contrarrevolutionary in Camagüey, will approach in another work.