06/13/2026
Sánchez joined the struggle against the Batista government following the coup of March 10, 1952. She was the founder of the 26th of July Movement in Manzanillo. She started as an arms runner, later began working as a combatant in the Cuban Revolution. She was considered to be the first female guerilla of the Sierra Maestra. Together with Frank País, she was one of the first women to assemble a combat squad. Celia Sánchez played a pivotal role in organizing a broad network for smuggling weapons, food and medical supplies. Sánchez was the first woman to join the July 26 Rebel Army.
Her experiences and courage under gunfire from enemy troops earned her a leadership role in the Rebel Army’s General Staff. In 1957, she became the first woman to join the guerrilla army and served as a messenger. She would place telegrams inside a butterfly flower, so the messages remained secret. As a member of the general staff of the Rebel Army she supplied Che Guevara and others with weapons and sometimes with food and medical supplies.
Sánchez archived many documents, letters and notes of the revolution. The historical documents within the institution included interviews from soldiers who fought in the guerrilla as well as letters, writings and photos. This collections of primary sources has served as the country’s official archive about the Cuban Revolution. By the Cuban people, the archive has been known as el fondo de Celia. Sánchez was bestowed the title of Secretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and served in the Department of Services of the Council of State.
Many commemorate her important role in the revolution by putting her name on schools, hospitals, and various community centers, from Cuba to Zimbabwe. Celia’s memory has had a large impact far beyond the remembrance of one woman in the Cuban Revolution but rather encompasses the standards of the new Cuban national identity.
Source: One Day in December: Celia Sánchez and the Cuban Revolution
Photos: Prensa Latina, Orinoco Tribune, Jornal A Verdade, “One Day in December: Celia Sánchez and the Cuban Revolution”
