…it was also a whirlwind, a torrent, a tree with deep roots and protective shadow. There are so many anecdotes, so many experiences, so many crucial moments in national history in which she was the protagonist or essential pillar. And yet, her modesty kept her away from the flashes of the cameras, from the front pages of the newspapers.
Doing is better than saying.
The greatest monument to his memory is his immense work. From the bust sculpted by Jilma Madera, which eternalizes the commitment of the country to her Apostle, at the top of Turquino—where she took him in the company of her father and other Martians—; even parks, schools, institutions, recreational centers that received her impulse and commitment. You can always talk about Celia Sánchez Manduley in the present tense.
A skilled and capable organizer, she created solid structures for the clandestine struggle against the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista. Many times Fidel referred to his irreplaceable contribution prior to the Granma landing and afterwards, to the point that he noted: “When the history of this revolutionary stage is written, two names will have to appear on the cover: David and Norma.” They were the pseudonyms of Frank País and Celia in clandestine work.
She was the first woman to hold a rifle in guerrilla actions, one of the creators of the Mariana Grajales female platoon. Now it seems natural that women occupy positions of responsibility in political and military structures. But more than 60 years ago prejudices persisted, even among progressive forces.
She opened paths. She demonstrated—because it needed to be demonstrated—that women had reserves of strength, patriotism, and the ability to take on tasks that many believed were exclusive to men. She was not satisfied with the decorative role to which some tried to reduce them: beauty and inspiration: delicate flowers that had to be protected.
The battles for the full emancipation of women in Cuba, still in force, see Celia Sánchez as an undisputed reference. Poetry of her action was his.
Revolutionary historiography also owes a lot to him. She hoarded, with a zeal that not everyone understood, apparently insignificant documents. Later, many of these “little papers” contributed to establishing dates, clarifying processes, and clarifying doubts about the revolutionary actions prior to the triumph.
Later, in the years of creation of several institutions, his leadership was essential. His close relationship with Fidel has emerged as one of the most effective collaborative efforts in different areas of the construction of a new society.
She was a woman of great sensitivity, calm beauty, delicacy of manners, simplicity and attachment to the small joys of life. Celia was one of the most solid pillars of an arduous, complex, demanding process. She passed away on January 11, 1980, when she still had much to give.
- We return to this work published on January 12, 2020 by our editorial staff, on the 104th anniversary of the birth of the heroine of the mountains and the plains, Celia Sánchez Manduley ·
