Free One Day in December: Celia Sánchez and the Cuban Revolution by Nancy Stout Page B

“Sure, when these guys arrive, we’ll do our part.” Every generation had the desire to rid the place of government soldiers—dubbed casquitos or “little helmets”—who usually took the job to receive extra pay. If posted in the mountains, they received a per diem they never had to spend, living as they did by extortion, so it became the equivalent of bonus pay. Blatant expropriation of goods was the Guard’s standard behavior. Another factor worked in Crescencio’s favor: most of the Pérez clan had heard about Fidel and the Moncada when they agreed to join Crescencio’s cause, but it’s generally agreed that their decision was less a matter of supporting Fidel than of the pleasure of involvement: It was an opportunity for one more fight. In this instance, the fight was especially sweet because of the endorsement of their patriarch. Before long, Crescencio had secured the Pérez family’s collective pledge, and Celia’s network had real security in numbers.
    In Guillermo García’s region near the coast, members of the Rural Guard regularly helped themselves to the ranchers’ cattle and horses. Logistically, the area was somewhat more important since it was closer to where the guerrillas might land: Boca del Toro, the cove called “mouth of the Toro River,” in Guillermo’s zone, was one of landing spots under consideration. The ranchers who agreed to go along with García surely took some time to think over the consequences: if they were caught, they would be jailed, and they didn’t have the safety in numbers that protected the Pérez family. If they were suspected of assisting the guerrillas, their buildings would likely be burned down. Each enlisted farmer and his wife made a decision to take a chance, based on others who were willing to do the same, and with a sense of community. It is my impression that García told them about an upcoming rebel invasion and mentioned the doctor’s daughter, which would have given them pause. If she was involved, she would be exposing her father, and if she was ready to take risks, they had better help her. When Guillermo showed up to ask if they had made a decision, they joined his team. By May, the job was done and Guillermo described all this to Frank and Celia at a meeting in her house.
    BY THE MIDDLE OF 1956 , Celia had signed up another member of the Pérez family, Ramon Pérez Montane (called Mongo), Crescencio’s brother, who owned a house, store, coffee farm, and granary near Purial de Vicana in the Sierra Maestra. His place could be approached from Niquero by going directly east via several farm and seasonal roads to the region of the Vicana River. This put him about ten miles north of Pilón as the crow flies. From her viewpoint, Mongo was ideally situated. She liked his place because its location, just inside the Sierra Maestra, provided a natural protective barrier. Plus, it was a place of business and therefore a legitimate destination. Anyone stopped by the Rural Guards had a reason to be there and could say they were purchasing coffee from Mongo’s warehouse. Mongo’s coffee trees provided a place where Fidel’s men could camp out undetected. And finally, she trusted Mongo. Celia recommended his farm as the place for Fidel’s guerrillas to assemble after they’d landed, and designated it the “point of departure” for the mountains. Mongo’s farm was called Cinco Palmas , five palm trees. For the revolutionary forces, it would become a landmark.
    Celia had a particular respect for country life. The Sánchez family owned three farms covering about 40,000 acres—in the foothills above Campechuela, known as San Miguel del Chino, named after a Chinese man who owned the first store in the region. This was mostly a cattle ranch, but also planted heavily in fruit orchards. Júlio Girona, her cousin, spent a summer there in the 1930s and described how all the Sánchezes convened on the weekends with their guests, around eighteen people of all ages.