escalante was dismissed from his post on march 22, 1962 by the ori leadership at the instigation of fidel castro. escalante, widely considered an "old line communist," was accused of building a party disconnected from the people. in a speech on march 26 of that year, castro described escalante as "having promoted the sectarian spirit to its highest possible level, of having promoted an organization which he controlled ... he simply allowed himself to be blinded by personal ambition." in a 1966 interview with an egyptian magazine, meanwhile, che guevera said that escalante had used his office to fill party positions with friends and colleagues who enjoyed "various privileges - beautiful secretaries, cadillac cars, air-conditioning."