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The Grito de Yara is known as the first armed uprising of Cubans against Spanish colonialism. It took place on the morning of October 10, 1868, when the wealthy Carlos Manuel de Céspedes freed his slaves and rose up in arms against the Spaniards at the La Demajagua sugar mill, near Manzanillo.
On that October 10th, Céspedes awakened a group of patriots with these words: “The soldier on duty must not allow dawn to catch him in his bed.” In the batey of the sugar mill, the first heroes gathered, raising the flag made by Cambula just hours before, and Céspedes stepped forward and said: “Soldier of independence! The sun you see rising above the Sierra Maestra comes to illuminate with its glory the first day of freedom for Cuba.”
In this way, Céspedes became a leader of the independence movement, in conflict with the reformist and annexationist currents that existed in 19th century Cuba. Before around 500 people, Céspedes read the Manifesto of October 10, where he opposed the "bloodied iron fist" represented by colonialism.
In another part of the document, it is stated that "when a people reaches the extreme of degradation and misery in which we find ourselves, no one can blame them for taking up arms to escape such a state filled with disgrace."
Later, the leader calls for rebellion: “Citizens, until this moment you have been my slaves. From now on, you are as free as I am. Cuba needs all its children to achieve independence! Those who wish to follow me may do so; those who wish to stay may stay, and all will remain as free as the others.”
Thus, the document emphasizes the intention to achieve total independence from Spain and the gradual abolition of slavery, a goal that was agreed upon by several landowners conspiring for the independence of eastern Cuba. However, Céspedes took the lead among them and insisted that armed struggle was the only way to attain freedom and forge a new nation.
In the early hours of the 10th to the 11th, a group of 120 patriots departed from La Demajagua, of which only 36 were armed. When the Cubans entered the town of Yara and the cry of "Long live free Cuba!" rang out, the hidden enemy opened fire on the patriots. Amidst the disaster and the casualties, Céspedes uttered the famous phrase: "We still have twelve men left; that's enough to achieve Cuba's independence!"
The Grito de Yara inspired other uprisings in various regions such as Oriente, Camagüey, and Las Villas. For the first time, whites, blacks, and mestizos, rich and poor, shared the ideal of independence, which would fuel a ten-year war that ultimately failed to achieve its initial goals due to differences among the insurgent leaders. This would be followed by the so-called Guerra Chiquita (1879-1880) and the War of Independence (1895-1898), organized by José Martí.
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