Celia Sánchez

Celia Sánchez Manduley (May 9, 1920 January 11, 1980) was a Cuban revolutionary, politician, researcher and archivist. She was a key member of the Cuban Revolution Oriente, Cuba, but eventually moved to Pilón, Cuba. Her mother, Acacia, died early in her childhood. At age six she started suffering with neurosis. She was one of eight children.

Cuban Revolution The Cuban Revolution was a movement organized to overthrow the U.S. aligned dictator Fulgencio Batista. Castro received help from Argentinian Che Guevara as well as Celia Sánchez, Frank País, and the Cuban people. Sánchez was a founder of the Cuban revolution and considered to be a heroine who would, later on, continue to serve in office as secretary to the presidency of the Council of Ministers and in the Department of Services of the Council of State. . thumb Symbol of Cuba's appreciation to Celia Sanchez Manduley. Created 10 years after her death. 1990. Sánchez joined the struggle against the Batista government following the coup of March 10, 1952. She was the founder of the 26th of July Movement in Manzanillo. She made arrangements throughout the southwest coast region of Cuba for the Granma landing, and was responsible for organizing reinforcements once the revolutionaries landed.

Relationship to Fidel Castro Speculation over the intimacy of Celia Sánchez and Fidel Castro's relationship is subject to debate, including rumours of the two sharing a romantic relationship. However, neither Sánchez nor Castro addressed these rumours during their lifetime. Following the disastrous landing of the Granma in 1956, Sánchez organised the peasant family network which housed and fed the rebels. She became close to Castro throughout this period, joining the rebels in the Sierra Maestra in early 1957 and participating in the Battle of Uvero.

Post-revolution years During the mid to late 1960s, René Vallejo, Castro's physician since 1958, Sánchez was bestowed the title of Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and served in the Department of Services of the Council of State until her death of lung cancer in 1980. The historical documents within the institution included interviews from soldiers who fought in the guerrilla as well as letters, writings and photos. This collections of primary sources has served as the country's official archive about the Cuban Revolution. By the Cuban people, the archive has been known as el fondo de Celia.

Legacy Following the death of Celia Sánchez, Fidel Castro commemorated her life by proclaiming her symbol to the Revolution. . He stated in a speech outside the hospital dedicated to her:

Many commemorate her crucial role in the revolution by putting her name on schools, hospitals, and various community centers, from Cuba to Zimbabwe. People of Manzanillo use the altar of the Caridad del Cobra Virgin as a marriage altar signifying her dedication to the Cuban Revolution.

Furthermore, Celia's memory has had a large impact far beyond the remembrance of one woman in the Cuban Revolution but rather encompasses the standards of the new Cuban national identity.