Abel Santamaría Cuadrado (20 October 1927 – 26 July 1953) was a Cuban revolutionary and leader in the
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution () was the military and political movement that overthrew the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, who had ruled Cuba from 1952 to 1959. The revolution began after the 1952 Cuban coup d'état, in which Batista overthrew ...
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
, during which he was captured and subsequently killed in prison.
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
. He and his sister Haydée allowed revolutionaries including
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...
to use their tiny two-room apartment on the corner of O and 25th streets in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Moncada barracks assault in July 1953 that was intended to start the revolutionary overthrow of Cuban dictator
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (born Rubén Zaldívar; January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who played a dominant role in Cuban politics from his initial rise to power as part of the 1933 Revolt of t ...
. Fidel Castro assigned Santamaria with the mission of taking the Saturnino Lora Hospital as part of the assault. Santamaria initially objected with the thought that Castro was taking on the more dangerous mission, stating "you are most needed by everyone". Castro responded, "I am going to the garrison and you go to the hospital, because you are the soul of this movement, and if I die, you will take my place." The assault ultimately failed and both Abel and Haydée were imprisoned with many other revolutionaries. Abel was murdered in prison in
Santiago de Cuba
Santiago de Cuba is the second-largest city in Cuba and the capital city of Santiago de Cuba Province. It lies in the southeastern area of the island, some southeast of the Cuban capital of Havana.
The municipality extends over , and contains t ...
after being tortured by police to reveal the location where the other revolutionaries were hiding. It is said that the police removed Abel's eyes and showed them to Haydée, but she never revealed where the revolutionaries were.
The Abel Santamaría Airport in Santa Clara, Cuba is named for him.