When is Triumph of the Liberation?
Along with New Year's Day, Triumph of the Liberation is celebrated in Cuba on the first of January.
Also called Liberation Day, "Triunfo de la Revolucion," celebrates the removal of President Batista from power on January 1st 1959.
History of Triumph of the Liberation Day
In March 1952, Fulgencio Batista had led a military coup in Cuba, installing himself as president, supported financially and militarily by the United States of America. Under his dictatorship, Batista revoked most political liberties, including the right to strike.
Fidel Castro was a lawyer with strong communist views. He had participated in the elections that were cancelled due to Batista's coup. Castro viewed Batista as an oppressive dictator in the pocket of the US and had begun training rebels with the aim of removing Batista.
In 1955, Castro was exiled to Mexico for his involvement in the failed July 1953 rebellion. In 1956, Castro returned and from his base in the Sierra Maestra mountains, he began a guerrilla war, aided by Che Guevara.
While not winning any decisive victories, the tide was clearly turning against Batista and the Americans, unable to persuade Batista to leave voluntarily, withdrew military support in 1958.
An emboldened Castro then led his 9,000-strong guerrilla army into Havana on January 1st 1959. Batista fled to the Dominican Republic, before eventually finding exile in Portugal.
Fidel Castro then became prime minister, with his brother, Raul, as his deputy and Guevara as his third in command.
