Fidel Castro releases his book ‘The Strategic Victory’

HAVANA - Cuba’s revolutionary leader Fidel Castro has released his book “The Strategic Victory”, a memoir of the victory of his rebel forces against the country’s dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

“It’s something special to remember all that,” the Cuban leader said while launching the 896-page memoir at a televised ceremony held at the Havana International Convention Centre Monday.

The function was attended by several former commanders of the First Rebel Front who led the battle against the offensive launched by the US-equipped and trained army of the dictator, Prensa Latina reported.

They were “the boys”, as the former Cuban president called them.

The voluminous book is a tribute to them and to all those who fell during the last phase of the liberation war that ended triumphantly Jan 1, 1959. It was an uneven fight between 300 poorly-equipped men against a 10,000-strong, well-armed army, he said.

“Who trained that army of torturers? Who supplied the weapons, the tanks, the planes, the frigates? Who taught them to torture and kill prisoners?” asked Castro. And answered: “It was the US government, the same that is now torturing Gerardo Hernandez without any justification,” he stressed referring to one of the five Cubans languising in US jails.

“Everything is there (in the book), the Turquino (mountain peak), the Joaquin (high grounds), La Jeringa, the small storea,” Castro, who has been working on the book since June 2009, said.

Fidel also announced that he will work on a second book that will tell the counter-offensive of the rebel forces till they victoriously entered Havana.