Nicaragua hails 73rd anniversary of Cuba's Moncada Barracks assault

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and Vice President Rosario Murillo have sent a letter to Cuba celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the historic Moncada Barracks assault. This event, led by the late Fidel Castro, is widely regarded as the beginning of the Cuban Revolution.

In their message, the Nicaraguan leaders lauded the "glory and victories of the people of Cuba," describing them as "heroic and extraordinary," and emphasizing that they "neither sell nor surrender, ever." They invoked Castro's legacy, stating that "with Fidel in his centenary and from these immortal dates," they stand with "consequent fighters of all times." The letter expressed certainty that "history not only absolves, but glorifies that giant, visionary, lucid, vibrant and of immense and fruitful courage."

The message concluded with fervent exclamations: "Long live Fidel!, long live Raúl!, long live victorious Cuba!, long live the revolution!" The 73rd anniversary commemorates the failed armed action on July 26, 1953, when a young Fidel Castro led an attack on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks against dictator Fulgencio Batista. This event marked the start of the revolutionary process that culminated in the triumph of the revolution and Castro's rise to power on January 1, 1959. Cuba observes July 26 as the "Day of National Rebellion" in remembrance of this pivotal assault.