Fulgencio Batista's Widow Dies in West Palm Beach

the night of December 31, 1958, was a momentous one for Cubans, but most of them wouldn't know it for another 12 hours or so.

a handful of Cuba's elite, who had gathered at the Presidential Palace for General Batista's customary New Year's Eve party, had much to be worried about, but the situation wasn't desperate. yet.

the Rebel Army, led by two of Fidel Castro's best commanders (Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos) had advanced roughly halfway to Havana, essentially cutting the island in half after taking Santa Clara, the capital of Las Villas province.

but half of the island and the bulk of Batista's army still stood between the Rebel Army and Havana. past Santa Clara, the Rebels would have to advance across flat terrain without easy cover for most of the way. they were also outnumbered and outgunned by Batista's Army.
the Army had tanks and airplanes. The Rebels did not.


fulgencio batista, who rose from
sergeant to Cuba's dictator.

but Batista had had enough. after the United States ceased military shipments to his regime, a clear signal that the US was no longer backing him unconditionally, Batista thought long and hard about his future.

his future, he decided, was not in Cuba but in Spain, where he hoped to spend the roughly $700 million he had stashed away in Swiss bank accounts.

and so, on the night of December 31, 1958, Batista announced to the handful of close supporters and their families gathered at the Presidential Palace that, in so many words, he was taking the money and running. they were welcomed to stay behind and enjoy themselves.

less than three hours later, at roughly 2 a.m. on January 1, 1959, Batista's plane left Cuba. along with Batista, of course, went his family, including his first and only wife, Martha Fernandez Miranda de Batista.


Martha Fernandez Miranda de Batista
acting as Cuba's First Lady. She is
at the front and center of the image.
Her husband is behind her and to
the right, holding a small flag.

Mrs. Batista has just passed away, after a long life in exile, first in Spain, then Portugal, and finally West Palm Beach.

her husband died in Spain, on August 6, 1973. his legacy was that of a petty dictator, an Army sergeant who rose to the rank of general through political maneuvering and who eventually toppled a democratically-elected (though corrupt) government in a nearly-bloodless coup on March 10, 1952.

increasing opposition to his regime forced Batista to increase his repressive methods, which in turn lead to increased opposition, culminating with Fidel Castro's guerrilla war that brought Castro to power in 1959.

one is tempted to say that without Batista, there would have been no Castro. but given Cuba's post-colonial history and the conditions present in the island as it attempted to navigate its way from colony to democracy, Batista was almost inevitable.

which is to say, Castro too was almost inevitable.

one hopes the future will hold better things.