Who was Camilo Cienfuegos?

Camilo Cienfuegos was a prominent Cuban revolutionary commander and close ally of Fidel Castro during the Cuban Revolution. Born to Spanish anarchists, he became one of the top leaders of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces and won the crucial Battle of Yaguajay in 1958. He died in a mysterious plane crash in October 1959 shortly after arresting dissident commander Huber Matos, leading to enduring conspiracy theories and his legacy as a national martyr.

What we know

• Camilo Cienfuegos was one of the major figures of the Cuban Revolution, considered second only to Fidel Castro among the revolutionary leadership. [2]
• He was one of the few survivors of the Landing of the Granma and later won the Battle of Yaguajay in December 1958. [2]
• Cienfuegos was ordered by Fidel Castro to arrest army commander Huber Matos after Matos resigned and accused Castro of burying the revolution. [2, 3]
• While flying back from Matos' former headquarters at Camagüey, Cienfuegos' plane disappeared over the Straits of Florida, and he was presumed dead. [2]

Still open

• Various conspiracy theories speculated that Fidel or Raúl Castro might have been responsible for Cienfuegos' plane disappearance, but no proof has been discovered.
• Different factions claimed Cienfuegos was a communist, an anti-communist, or an anarchist, though he never publicly expressed any political ideology.

Where to go next

• what caused itWhat was the Huber Matos affair?
• compared withHow did Che Guevara relate to Cienfuegos?
• whenWhat happened during the Landing of the Granma?
• whoWho was Fidel Castro?
• a case in pointWhat is the Battle of Yaguajay?
• an unexpected connectionWhy is there an anarchist press named after Cienfuegos?Scottish anarchist writer Stuart Christie founded Cienfuegos Press, drawing inspiration from the revolutionary heritage of Camilo Cienfuegos, whose parents were Spanish anarchists.

Sources

• [1]Camilo Cienfuegos (Wikidata Q26853) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Camilo Cienfuegos · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Huber Matos affair · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Stuart Christie · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Hershey · CC BY-SA 4.0

Your path

1. Where is Celsus Peak located in Antarctica?
2. /Who are the founders of Havok?
3. /Who was Camilo Cienfuegos?