26th of July Movement facts for kids
The 26th of July Movement was a group of people led by Fidel Castro. They played a big part in the Cuban Revolution. In Spanish, its name is Movimiento 26 de Julio. People often shorten it to M-26-7. The group got its name from an important event: an attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. This attack happened on July 26, 1953.
The people who took part in the attack were sent to prison for a long time. But in 1955, they were set free because of a special pardon called an amnesty. After this, they officially formed the 26th of July Movement. Their plan was to fight back using small, secret groups spread across the country.
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How the Movement Started
The name of the movement, "26th of July," comes from the date of the attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. This attack happened on July 26, 1953. The people involved were sent to prison, but they were later released in 1955. After their release, they officially started the movement.
Their main idea was to use armed resistance. This meant they would fight back in small, secret groups called "cells." These cells were hidden all over Cuba.
Key Leaders and Supporters
Frank País became the leader of the resistance inside Cuba. Other important people who helped the movement included Raúl Pujol, Celia Sánchez, Haydée Santamaría, Aldo Santamaría, and Vilma Espín.
Fidel Castro and other members who were part of the Moncada attack went to live in other countries for a while. This is called going into exile. Castro went to Mexico, where he met Ernesto Guevara.
The Fight for Change
In 1956, Fidel Castro, his brother Raul Castro, Juan Almeida Bosque, Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, Che Guevara, and Camilo Cienfuegos returned to Cuba. They came back to help the secret groups that were already fighting there.
For two years, they fought a type of war called guerrilla warfare. This means fighting in small groups, often using surprise attacks. In 1959, the leader of Cuba at the time, Fulgencio Batista, fled the country.
Working Together
At first, the 26th of July Movement was made up of different people who all wanted to remove the Batista government. They did not all share the same political ideas.
Later, they started to work closely with the Communist Party of Cuba. In 1961, the 26th of July Movement and the Communist Party joined together to become one group.
See also
In Spanish: Movimiento 26 de Julio para niños
