Juan Almeida Bosque dies

**Red_Lizard2** · 09-12-09, 11:59 AM

not that most of you care, but its still interesting

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8252210.stm

One of the original protagonists of the Cuban revolution, Juan Almeida Bosque, has died of heart failure at the age of 82, according to state media.

Almeida was one of several vice-presidents in the Council of State under Raul Castro.

He was the only black commander in the Cuban leadership.

From a poor Havana neighbourhood, Almeida was in the group of guerrillas led by Fidel Castro which eventually seized power in Cuba in 1959.

He went on to become a general in the armed forces, a member of the politburo of the Communist Party and the third-ranking member in the Council of State.

State-run media announced his death, declaring he would remain "in the hearts and minds of his compatriots".

Sunday has been declared a national day of mourning, and flags will be flown at half-mast.

There will be no lying-in-state, in accordance with Almeida's wishes. He will be given a military funeral at a later date.

Granma

Almeida - a former construction worker - reportedly became friends with Fidel Castro while studying at the University of Havana in 1952.

He participated in the failed 1953 assault on the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, and was among those sent to jail.

Following an amnesty, the rebels were released and in 1956 they went to Mexico to regroup and prepare for a fresh assault.

Almeida was on board the Granma boat when it sailed back to Cuba carrying the small group of fighters that would launch the insurrectionary campaign from the Sierra Maestra mountains.

He was promoted to the rank of commander during the mountain campaign.

Outnumbered in one of the early battles, Juan Almeida is said to have stormed to the front shouting, "Here, nobody surrenders!"

It became a slogan of the revolution.

**Xavsnipe** · 09-12-09, 01:15 PM

awesome :9

**dex71** · 09-12-09, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by Xavsnipe

awesome :9

No shit.....k..bye.

Too bad it wasn't Fidel. Maybe next time.

**Xavsnipe** · 09-12-09, 01:46 PM

aah, Fidel is a walking corpse now...Raul is next...fuck Raul in the face....but the one who really needs to go bye bye now is Chavez...way too much power in that man's hands.

**dex71** · 09-12-09, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by Xavsnipe

aah, Fidel is a walking corpse now...Raul is next...fuck Raul in the face....but the one who really needs to go bye bye now is Chavez...way too much power in that man's hands.

Ha....funny thing about Fidel is what is ultimately going to kill him. Diverticulitis. I had it as bad,if not worse than he did about 5 years ago now. I came within millimeters of blood poisoning and certain death when my intestine burst. I ended up having 12 inches of my large intestine removed,and was laid up for about two months( they cut vertically through all of your abdominal muscles,and lay your guts on a tray to get at the large intestine). Since then,I have made a complete and full recovery. And they say Cuban health care is all that.......what the fuck ever. What a perfect way for that asshole to go.

And yeah....Chavez deserves the same.