MSJ

On this historic day for Cuba, the Movement for Social Justice expresses its solidarity with the Cuban people and Government. Sixty-six (66) years ago Fidel Castro led a group of young men and women in an attack on the Moncada military garrison in the eastern city of Santiago. While that attack failed as a military action and a number of the group were killed, July 26, 1953 marked the start of the Cuban Revolution against the brutal dictatorship of Batista. Fidel himself was captured along with Raul Castro and many others and jailed. At his trial Fidel made his historic address - History will Absolve Me.
History did indeed absolve Fidel and his July 26th Movement which eventually completed the Revolution on January 1st, 1959 - 6 short years after the July 26 attack on Moncada. The Cuban Revolution transformed Cuba and the social gains have been acknowledged globally.
Cuba has however had to endure hostile actions by the United States throughout the 60 years of its Revolution. Military intervention with the Bay of Pigs attack; numerous assassination attempts against Fidel; terrorist acts, the worst of which was the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airplane off the coast of Barbados that killed all 73 persons on board; have all been part of successive U.S. Government actions to bring about regime change in Cuba.