Almeida’s Voice Resounds Loud and Clear

"No one here is surrendering!" was born of emotion and courage, and of the values sowed by Almeida and the generation of Martí’s Centenary and the Granma crossing, led by Fidel, who took on the responsibility of transmitting them to those who came later

Author: Pedro de la Hoz | pedro@granma.cu

February 16, 2021 09:02:40

Fidel awards Almeida the title of Hero of the Republic. Photo: Estudio Revolución

The voice of Juan Almeida Bosque rang out in Alegría de Pío: "No one here is surrendering...!", he shouted to the enemy, and rounded off the statement with a word (not noted here) that came from the bottom of his heart, the morning of December 5, 1956.

The voice of Comandante de la Revolución Juan Almeida Bosque continued to resound as the voice of millions who have made it part of the nation’s soul, traveling a long road through the birth of the Rebel Army, the guerrilla fronts, the heroic underground, the January triumph, the victory in Giron, the moral strength tested during the October crisis, the struggle against counterrevolutionary bandits, the people's harvest, the urgent tasks, the development of science, the universalization of education, confronting the blockade, overcoming the crisis of the 90s, resisting Trump’s attacks…

Tomorrow, when we commemorate the 94th anniversary of the birth of the rebel fighter, political leader, poet and composer, the phrase spoken in one of the most difficult moments of the final stage of the liberation struggle, is repeated, here and now, in the enormous effort to control the pandemic, develop the economy under adverse conditions, defend the people’s conquests and consolidate our social fabric in the face of attempts to fracture our unity.

"No one here is surrendering!" was born of emotion and courage, but also of the values sowed by Almeida and the generation of Martí’s Centenary and the Granma crossing, led by Fidel, who took on the responsibility of transmitting them to those who came later. We return, again and again, to this reflection of the Comandante’s, published in Granma more than two decades ago:

"History will be always instructive. Honesty in our actions is a great virtue and also in considering the lessons that history teaches us. And not only ours, but also that which emanates from other phenomena in this world, of which we are a part and to which we are not strangers. The unity of our people around their leaders and the Revolution is one of the most powerful shields we have against our enemies."

Like Fidel, like Raul, like the current generation of revolutionary leaders, Almeida knew that surrender is a word banished from the vocabulary, the action and the destiny of the vast majority of Cubans.

Definitively, no one here is surrendering!