His death, at the age of 97, was confirmed by his wife, the also vocal politician Georgina Cid.
MADRID, Spain.- Former Cuban political prisoner Orlando Castro García, last survivor among the assailants of the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks who later went into exile in the United States, died on Saturday in Miami at the age of 97.
As confirmed by his wife, fellow politician Georgina Cid, the death occurred in a care center for the elderly in the southwest of the city, according to the media. Strong Coffee.
Born on July 14, 1928 in Unión de Reyes, Matanzas, Castro came from a humble family. While studying at the Havana Business School and working as a financial supervisor at the Sabatés company, he decided to join the assault led by Fidel Castro against the military barracks in 1953, becoming one of the 25 attackers of the Bayamo barracks.
After the failure of the action, he took refuge in the Argentine Embassy in Havana and later left for Costa Rica with a safe conduct. He also lived in Mexico and Honduras before returning to Cuba after the general amnesty of 1955.
Back in the country, he distanced himself from Fidel Castro by disagreeing with the authoritarian course he observed in the July 26 Movement, opting for alternative civic and political paths. After the triumph of the revolution in 1959, he became involved in opposition activities, alarmed by the communist turn of the process.
In 1961 he was arrested and sentenced to 30 years in prison on conspiracy charges. He spent 17 years in Cuban prisons before going into exile in the United States in 1979. His wife, Georgina Cid, was also imprisoned for 16 years.
The funeral of Orlando Castro García will take place this Tuesday, October 28 at 11:30 am in the Opa-locka cemetery, where a farewell prayer will be held. A mass in his memory will be celebrated at a later date yet to be announced.
