New York Times
April 4, 1958. p. 1.
Cuban Leader
Declares City Will Fall When Cut-Off Army is Demoralized
By Homer Bigart
SANTIAGO DE CUBA, April 3—The leader of underground rebels in Santiago de Cuba indicated today that a sudden dramatic uprising against the strong Government force occupying the city was not in the cards.
He said in an interview that Santiago de Cuba would fall into rebel hands by gradual demoralization of army units that would be cut off from supplies and ammunition once the city was paralyzed by an imminent general strike. They would wither on the vine, he declared.
He estimated that the regime of President Fulgencio Batista had about 1,000 troops in Santiago de Cuba. These troops are widely scattered in Government buildings, schools and hospitals. Some units are disposed in apartment houses where roofs offer good observation of strategic points.
According to the local rebel chief, disaffection is rife among enlisted ranks. He said that “about a dozen” soldiers in Santiago de Cuba had deserted to the rebels since April 1.
He pointed out that Fidel Castro, military leader of the 26th of July Movement, had set April 5 as the deadline for army desertions. After Saturday, any person who remains in the military service of President Batista will be regarded as a traitor and shot, according to Señor Castro’s ultimatum.
The interview with Daniel—nom de guerre for the local rebel chief—tended to support the observation that unless there were widespread defections among the military the rebels would not attempt to seize Santiago de Cuba by force at this time.
Without a major collapse of army organization, the rebels could hardly expect to hold the city even if the succeeded in seizing it in a surprise attack. Santiago de Cuba in rebel hands probably would be bombed as mercilessly by President Batista’s planes as was Cienfuegos after the unsuccessful naval uprising last year.
President Batista’s immediate problem is to keep open the central highway from Havana to Santiago de Cuba. Unless this overland supply route is maintained, Government troops will have to yield most of Oriente Province and concentrate in bases that can be supplied by air or in port cities such as Santiago de Cuba, Manzanillo and Baracoa.
Today this highway remained completely closed to commercial traffic. All land travel between Santiago de Cuba and the rest of Cuba, by highway or rail, was paralyzed for the third straight day.
Meanwhile Santiago de Cuba maintained its surface calm. This morning the bullet-ridden bodies of three unarmed youths were found dumped along the road leading to suburban Ciudamar. One of them was Gil Suarez, a 15-year-old boy from Santiago de Cuba; the others were 22 and 25 years old and came from Camaguey. Daniel said that none of the three belonged to the 26th of July movement.
So tough is the censorship that it extends even to the printing of Church announcements. All references to religious processions in which the congregation would join have been stricken from Church programs—even though these processions are held entirely within the walls of the church.
Daniel exhibited full confidence that President Batista would be overthrown “very, very soon.” He said that Fidel Castro’s “sixth column,” led by Fidel’s brother, Raul, when recently marched east across the Central Highway from the Sierra Maestra to seize and occupy the Sierra Cristal, was now in full control of the vast area in the triangle between Guantanamo, Baracoa and Mayari.
“The way things are going we are in a position to surround big cities such as Guantanamo, Moa, Baracoa, Mayari and Sagua de Tanamo,” Daniel said. “In central Oriente we have a lot of small groups who can mobilize overnight to a new column.”
Daniel also disclosed that within the past week a rebel patrol had got all the way to the refinery of the Texas Oil Company near the mouth of Santiago harbor.
He promised “action” in Santiago de Cuba “within a few days.”
Despite the lack of shooting, most business activity in the city was at a standstill.
The Havana “panic” was caused by rumors, probably circulated by rebels, that the Batista regime intended to freeze bank deposits.
As for the prospects of major casualties, Daniel said: “It depends on the armed forces. If they fight, it’s bloodshed.”
HAVANA, April 3 (AP)—Moving in force out of the tangled hideouts of the Sierra Maestra range almost for the first time, a rebel column of about 1,000 was encamped today just outside the sugar mill city of Sagua de Tanamo, fifty miles northeast of Santiago de Cuba and near the north coast.
Another column in south Oriente Province was reported moving eastward toward Santiago de Cuba. The two columns were shooting up transport and communications, and apparently intended to converge on the city.