Efigenio Ameijeiras
Encyclopedia
Efigenio Ameijeiras Delgado (born 1931 in Puerto Padre
, Las Tunas Province
), was an enthusiastic supporter of Fidel Castro
from the 1950s through to the 21st century.
A self-declared anti-communist, he was one of the band of Castro's active guerrillas that became known as the 26th of July Movement
, named after the raid on Moncada Barracks
on 26 July 1953, though he is not mentioned as one of the participants. He is reported to have been gaoled in 1955 on 'moral charges', with an alias of 'Jomeguia'. In December 1956, he was among 82 of Castro's guerrillas on board the yacht Granma
that sailed from Tuxpan, Mexico to Punta de los Colodoras, in Oriente Province, Cuba. He fought with the guerillas in the Sierra Maestra
, and took part in an attack on El Uvero barracks on 28 May 1957. In 1958 he served as the leader of Company B of the guerrillas in Guantanamo Province
.
After the revolution on 1 January 1959, he served as the Head of the National Revolutionary Police. On 15 April 1961, in response to the air attacks by CIA/Brigade 2506
Douglas B-26 Invader aircraft on Cuban airfields, he led the round-up and detention of thousands of suspected opponents to the Cuban government.
During the Bay of Pigs Invasion
, on 19 April 1961, he commanded a battalion of about 200 police and militia moving south towards Giron, that was attacked by Brigade B-26s. His narratives of fighting and arrival at Playa Giron are widely quoted.:
He later served in the Cuban Army with the ranks of Major General and Brigadier General. In 1966 he was expelled from the new Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), for alleged 'moral offences'.
Puerto Padre
Puerto Padre is a municipality and city in the Las Tunas Province of Cuba. It is located on the northern coastal region of the province, in an estuary that opens into the Puerto Padre Bay....
, Las Tunas Province
Las Tunas Province
Las Tunas is one of the provinces of Cuba. Major towns include Puerto Padre and Amancio, as well as the capital, Victoria de Las Tunas ....
), was an enthusiastic supporter of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
from the 1950s through to the 21st century.
A self-declared anti-communist, he was one of the band of Castro's active guerrillas that became known as the 26th of July Movement
26th of July Movement
The 26th of July Movement was the revolutionary organization planned and led by Fidel Castro that in 1959 overthrew the Fulgencio Batista government in Cuba...
, named after the raid on Moncada Barracks
Moncada Barracks
The Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermón Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence. On July 26, 1953, the barracks was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. This armed attack is widely accepted...
on 26 July 1953, though he is not mentioned as one of the participants. He is reported to have been gaoled in 1955 on 'moral charges', with an alias of 'Jomeguia'. In December 1956, he was among 82 of Castro's guerrillas on board the yacht Granma
Granma (yacht)
Granma is the yacht that was used to transport 82 fighters of the Cuban Revolution from Mexico to Cuba in 1956 for the purpose of overthrowing the regime of Fulgencio Batista. The 60-foot diesel-powered cabin cruiser was built in 1943 and designed to accommodate 12 people...
that sailed from Tuxpan, Mexico to Punta de los Colodoras, in Oriente Province, Cuba. He fought with the guerillas in the Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. Some view it as a series of connecting ranges , which joins with others extending to the west...
, and took part in an attack on El Uvero barracks on 28 May 1957. In 1958 he served as the leader of Company B of the guerrillas in Guantanamo Province
Guantánamo Province
Guantánamo is the easternmost province of Cuba. Its capital is also called Guantánamo. Other towns include Baracoa. The province surrounds the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo Bay.-History:...
.
After the revolution on 1 January 1959, he served as the Head of the National Revolutionary Police. On 15 April 1961, in response to the air attacks by CIA/Brigade 2506
Brigade 2506
Brigade 2506 was the name given to a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles formed in 1960 to attempt the military overthrow of the Cuban government headed by Fidel Castro...
Douglas B-26 Invader aircraft on Cuban airfields, he led the round-up and detention of thousands of suspected opponents to the Cuban government.
During the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
, on 19 April 1961, he commanded a battalion of about 200 police and militia moving south towards Giron, that was attacked by Brigade B-26s. His narratives of fighting and arrival at Playa Giron are widely quoted.:
He later served in the Cuban Army with the ranks of Major General and Brigadier General. In 1966 he was expelled from the new Communist Party of Cuba (PCC), for alleged 'moral offences'.