Camilo Cienfuegos
The cheerful revolutionary who never declared his ideology.
Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán was a Cuban revolutionary who rose to become a central figure in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista’s regime, widely regarded as second only to Fidel Castro in the revolutionary leadership. Born in 1932 to Spanish anarchist immigrants, his early life was steeped in left-wing activism; his father, a tailor in Havana, involved him in fundraising for the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. Cienfuegos himself participated in student demonstrations in December 1955, during which he was shot and wounded by police while laying a wreath at a monument. Forced to leave art school due to financial hardship, he worked briefly in the United States before moving to Mexico in 1956 to join Castro’s 26th of July Movement. He was among the few survivors of the Granma landing in December 1956, after which he distinguished himself as a guerrilla commander. During the campaign, he accidentally nearly shot Che Guevara, who was disguised as an enemy officer, but the ambush succeeded nonetheless. Cienfuegos was appointed commander of the Second Column and, after winning the Battle of Yaguajay in December 1958, led the capture of Matanzas and Havana. The new revolutionary government made him commander-in-chief of the armed forces, where he purged former National Army officers and replaced them with guerrilla leaders loyal to Castro. He later arrested Huber Matos for objecting to Castro’s consolidation of power. On 28 October 1959, while flying back from Camagüey, his plane disappeared over the Straits of Florida. Despite a search, he was presumed dead, sparking unproven conspiracy theories. Cienfuegos was remembered for his cheerful, carefree personality, contrasting with Guevara’s austerity, and for his friendly, paternal leadership style. He never publicly declared a political ideology, though various factions claimed him as communist, anti-communist, or anarchist. Today, Cuban children annually throw flowers into rivers and seas on 28 October in his tribute.
- born
- 6 February 1932
- died
- 28 October 1959 (presumed dead after plane disappearance)
- field
- Revolutionary, military commander
- nationality
- Cuban
- known_for
- Key role in the Cuban Revolution; commander of the Second Column; capture of Matanzas and Havana; disappearance over the Straits of Florida
Lore & Background
The son of Spanish anarchists, Cienfuegos engaged with left-wing politics from an early age, going on to join the opposition movement against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. He joined Castro's 26th of July Movement on its expedition to Cuba and was one of the few survivors of the Landing of the Granma. He quickly distinguished himself as one of the top commanders of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and a popular leading figure of the revolution, becoming close friends with Che Guevara during their guerrilla campaign in Las Villas. After winning the Battle of Yaguajay in December 1958, Cienfuegos led the capture of Matanzas and Havana, where he was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces by the new revolutionary government. He oversaw the reorganization of the armed forces, in order to purge leading figures of the Cuban National Army and replace them with guerrilla commanders more loyal to Fidel Castro. When Huber Matos objected to Castro's consolidation of power, he was arrested by Cienfuegos. While flying back from Matos' former headquarters at Camagüey, Cienfuegos' plane disappeared over the Straits of Florida. After a few days of an attempted search and rescue operation, he was presumed dead by the Cuban government. His disappearance quickly spawned a number of conspiracy theories, many of which speculated Fidel or Raúl Castro to have been responsible, but no proof of such has been discovered. Cienfuegos has since become known as a revolutionary martyr in Cuba, with a number of institutions being dedicated to his name, including a Military Schools System and an Order of Merit.
Reader's Guide
Cienfuegos was a popular figure in Cuba, due to his cheerful and carefree personality, which contrasted sharply with the strict austerity of his comrade Guevara. Although he was claimed by different factions to have been a communist, an anti-communist, or an anarchist, he never publicly expressed any political ideology. The soldiers who fought for him remembered him for his friendly and paternal leadership style, while the Cuban government upheld him as a loyal supporter of Fidel Castro. Every year on 28 October, Cuban children throw flowers into the rivers and seas, in tribute to him.
Did You Know?
- Cienfuegos was one of only twelve survivors of the initial Granma expedition.
- He accidentally almost shot Che Guevara during an ambush setup.
- His father took him as an infant to raise money for Republicans during the Spanish Civil War.
- Cienfuegos briefly emigrated to the United States and worked illegally.
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