By Ventura de Jesús, on April 18, 2025 from Ciénaga de Zapata
“After that initial fear, and without even realizing it, I became a ‘monster’ and kept going all the time,” recalls Anastasio. Photo: Ventura de Jesús García
At 92 years of age, Anastasio Suárez Rodríguez is what you might call a venerable elder, and as if that weren’t enough, he still has a burning desire to continue working for the Revolution.
Despite his advanced age, he is confident that he will have enough time to devote himself to other projects. “I tell myself: if Fidel never stopped, I’m not going to stop either,” he says, reiterating his decision to continue fighting in this life.
He is proud of having been a member of the 225th Battalion of Jagüey Grande and of his participation in the confrontation with the US backed mercenaries in April 1961 on Playa Giron.
Chacho, as he is known to those closest to him, is a man of short stature, talkative and with a confident voice, with a face and hands that reveal in a way his longevity and the sacrifices that marked his youth.
Perhaps due to the misfortunes of time and the harshness of the passing years, his physical appearance is diminished in his historic olive green uniform.
Although there seems to be no human power capable of making him give up his present and future aspirations, he admits that his eyesight is not what it used to be. “But I’m fine, I’m not complaining,” he insists on his decision not to waver.
A carpenter by trade, Anastasio was 27 years old at the time of the mercenary invasion and had some experience in fighting bandits.
“I come from a very humble family and couldn’t study, but my whole family embraced the cause of the Revolution, and my mother instilled in us good manners and the spirit of guapear (to look good).”
Recalling the difficult hours in Girón, he confesses that he doesn’t know where he found the strength to overcome the incessant shrapnel from the aircraft. “I swear I was afraid,” he says, gesturing with both hands and smiling.
“The Escambray was something else, more like guerrilla warfare. But I had never experienced such intense bombing as on the journey from Australia to Playa Larga; there was nowhere to take shelter.
Girón showed that the morale of a people is more important than bullets and lead. Photo: Raúl Corrales
“It was suicide to walk along the road, and there was nowhere to take cover, not even in the ditch. We were vulnerable to air attack. At first, they fooled us because they were carrying flags with the Cuban insignia.
“After that initial fear, and without even realizing it, I became a ‘monster’ and kept going forward the whole time. Otherwise, I think Fidel instilled courage and tremendous strength in us.”
He confesses that from then on, he hardly had time to think about danger and death, although he says that the smell of burning flesh from those killed by shrapnel and the sun tore at his guts.
“After Girón, I couldn’t eat properly for several days.”
He says he will never forget the courage of his comrades and the loss of people very close to him, such as Iluminado Rodríguez and Antero Fernández Vargas, “who made us militiamen in Jagüey Grande,” he says.
Among his fondest memories of the epic battle of Girón is the courage of the revolutionary forces, “brave people with courage and determination, which in the end was decisive in the victory, despite the mercenaries’ superior firepower.”
They, on the other hand, “lacked reason, while we were defending a just cause and were willing to die for it; that’s why we fought so hard.”
Chacho says he is certain that Girón proved that the morale of a people is more important than bullets and lead.
Another unforgettable moment for the now 90-year-old combatant was seeing the mercenaries surrender. “They came with their hands behind their heads and defeat written all over their faces. We realized that they were nothing, heartless men who ultimately surrendered like doves.”
Nothing excites him more than remembering that moment. “That’s why we were euphoric and started shouting when victory was declared.”
Since the early years of the Revolution and after the victory at Playa Girón, the first major defeat of Yankee imperialism in Latin America, the Cuban government and state have not forgotten those who live in that area. They have not forgotten the place where many humble people live, which is also a monument to history that symbolizes freedom and independence, not only for Cuba but also for the region.
The Swamp Today
As every year at this time, and in honor of the anniversary, rehabilitation and construction work is carried out for the benefit of the residents of La Ciénaga, including:
Source: Granma, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English