What is 26th of July Movement?
[[File:DirkvdM 26 julio.jpg|thumb|The history museum in [[Cienfuegos]], with the Cuban flag left, and the flag of the movement, right]] The '''26th of July Movement''' was the name of the political party led by [[Fidel Castro]] during the [[Cuban Revolution]]. In [[Spanish language|Spanish]], it is called '''Movimiento 26 de Julio''', it is often abbreviated '''M-26-7'''. The name comes from the date of the attack on the [[Moncada Barracks]], in [[Santiago de Cuba]], which was carried out on 26th July 1953. The participants were condemned to long prison terms, but were freed at an [[amnesty]] in 1955. After this, they formed the movement. Their [[strategy]] was armed resistance, in small cells, that were spread all over the country, and were kept secret. [[Frank País]] was made the leader of the resistance in [[Cuba]], other activists were [[Raúl Pujol]], [[Celia Sánchez]], [[Haydée Santamaría]], [[Aldo Santamaría]] and [[Vilma Espín]]. Fidel castro and other Moncadistas went into [[exile]]. Castro went to [[Mexico]], where he met [[Che Guevara|Ernesto Guevara]]. In 1956, Fidel and [[Raul Castro]], [[Juan Almeida Bosque]], [[Ramiro Valdés Menéndez]], Guevara, and [[Camilo Cienfuegos]] went back to Cuba to support the cells there. After two years of [[guerilla]] fighting, [[Fulgencio Batista]] fled from Cuba, in 1959. Until the fall of Batista, the forces did not have a [[Marxism|Marxist]] [[ideology]], rather they were different people collaborating to overturn the Batista [[regime]]. Later they started to work together with the [[Communist Party of Cuba]]. In 1961, they merged with the Communist Party. [[Category:1950s in Cuba]] [[Category:Political parties in Cuba]] [[Category:Nationalist organizations in North America]] [[Category:National liberation movements]] [[Category:1953]] {{politics-stub}}