José Antonio Echeverría Bianchi (July 16, 1932 – March 13, 1957) was a Cuban prominent figure 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 ...

against President

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 ...

. Echeverría was the President of the Federation of University Students (Federación Estudiantil Universitaria - FEU) and a founding member of the militant organization Directorio Revolucionario 13 de Marzo. He is known for his role in the attack on the Presidential Palace and the Radio Reloj radio station of Cuba. Echeverría's nickname was "Manzanita," which means "Little Apple."

Early life and education

Echeverría was born to Antonio Jesús Echeverría González and Concepción Bianchi Tristán in Cárdenas,

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

, Cuba. He had three younger siblings named Sinforiano, Alfredo, and Lucía. Echeverría attended Champagnat primary school, belonging to the Congregation of the

Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic Church, Catholic religious institute of Religious brother, brothers. In 1817, Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from Fr ...

, and later graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Secondary Education Institute of Cárdenas in 1950.Berdayes García, Hilda Natalia (2006): ''Papeles del presidente. Documentos y discursos de José Antonio Echeverría Bianchi''(página 103). La Habana: Casa Editora Abril. 2006. Echeverría enrolled in the School of Architecture at the University of Havana in August 1950. He chose architecture for his love of mathematics and drawing. 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.coup led by Fulgencio Batista. On March 14, 1952, Echeverría signed the Declaration of Principles of the University Student Federation. Echeverría became the president of the FEU in September 1954, after the vice president resigned, and the acting president, Benigno Arbezú, graduated. During his presidency, Echeverría strengthened and developed the student fight against the dictatorship. He also promoted solidarity with the economic problems of

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

and support for their social and political struggles. Echeverría promoted cultural life on the University campus, with the celebration of the University Symphony Week and exhibitions by important artists such as Wilfredo Lam and Girona. He organized cycles of conferences, performances by the Alicia Alonso Ballet and presentations by the Philharmonic Orchestra of Havana and the University Theatre.

Revolutionary activities and death

Echeverría was a founding member of the DR, a militant organization that played an important role in the Cuban Revolution. He was part of the Presidential Palace attack and also took a leading role in the attack on the Radio Reloj station that ultimately led to his death. During the attack on the Radio Reloj station on March 13, 1957, Echeverría gave an anti-Batista speech that was broadcast to the Cuban nation. He estimated that the rioters could only occupy the radio station for three minutes, so he had to prepare a speech that lasted three minutes at most. Echeverría managed to finish his speech at the 181st second and left the station unharmed. On the way to the

University of Havana The University of Havana (UH; ) is a public university located in the Vedado district of Havana, the capital of Cuba. Founded on 5 January 1728, the university is the oldest in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas. Originall ...

, he opened fire on a police patrol and was killed during the shootout on the footpath of the north side of the university.''Historia de la Universidad de La Habana'', volumen 2. La Habana: Editorial de Ciencias Sociales, 1984. A memorial plaque now stands at the site.

Funeral

To prevent a public funeral and potential protests, the Batista regime kept Echeverria's body in the morgue until the afternoon of March 14. At that point, the family, who had been in Havana since the day of Echeverria's death, was finally given the body. Around 6 pm, the regime authorized the transfer of the coffin to Cárdenas, but with strict conditions: only the parents' car could accompany the hearse, and the rest of the procession had to depart immediately and wait at Calzada de Managua, El Calvario, Arroyo Naranjo. Additionally, it was suggested that the coffin be taken directly to the cemetery in Cárdenas. During the funeral procession, authorities stopped and searched the procession several times. Upon arriving at Calzada, they were ordered to proceed directly to the cemetery, which was surrounded by police and agents of the Military Intelligence Service, a repressive body of the dictatorship. Under the orders of Captain Alzugaray, the chief of police in the area, cars and individuals were searched. Captain Alzugaray was later executed in a summary trial after the triumph of the Revolution.

Legacy

Jose Antonio Echevarria plaque at University of Havana

Echeverría's speech at the Radio Reloj station was mentioned in the poem "Three Minutes of Truth" written by the Soviet-Russian poet

Yevgeny Yevtushenko Yevgeny Aleksandrovich Yevtushenko (; 18 July 1933 – 1 April 2017) was a Soviet and Russian poet, novelist, essayist, dramatist, screenwriter, publisher, actor, editor, university professor, and director of several films. Biography Early lif ...

. The Vietnamese writer Phùng Quán also wrote:

References

Gallery

File:Jose_Antonio_Echevarria.2._Dead_March_13,_1957,_Havana,_Cuba.jpg, Jose Antonio Echevarria. Dead on March 13, 1957. File:Antonio ECHEVARIA funeral. Havana, 1957.jpg, Antonio Echevarria funeral. Havana, 1957. File:Antonio ECHEVARIA's mother. Havana, 1957.jpg, Antonio ECHEVARIA's mother. Havana, 1957. File:Antonio ECHEVARIA's girl friend days after the shooting.jpg, Antonio Echevarria's girlfriend days after the attack. Havana, 1957.

Bibliography

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External links

Cuando los universitarios se levantaron contra el gobernante de Cuba (FOTOS)Revolt in Havana.
Chicago Daily Tribune. March 14, 1957.]
No Eran Estudiantes los Que Atacaron el Palacio.
: : {{DEFAULTSORT:Echeverria, Jose Antonio 1932 births 1957 deaths People from Matanzas Province Cuban communists Cuban soldiers Cuban revolutionaries Cuban people of Spanish descent Cuban people of Basque descent People of the Cuban Revolution People shot dead by law enforcement officers in Cuba