The hamlet of Boca de Sama—a community in the coastal municipality of Banes, Holguin, that seems to sway to the rhythm of the waves. It evokes the peaceful nights that were violently disrupted 55 years ago by the ruthless hail of machine-gun fire.
Nestled in a breathtaking natural setting, this small cove—home to families dedicated to fishing and farming. It was the site of a cowardly attack on October 12th, 1971. The assault was carried out by counter-revolutionary elements arriving from Florida, funded by the United States government.
Under the cover of darkness, two pirate-style boats entered through the channel located just a few kilometers from Guardalavaca Beach. Catching the locals off guard as they rested before resuming their daily routines at dawn.
Relentless machine-gun fire from the mother ship jolted them awake. Plunging them into the horror deliberately orchestrated by the Central Intelligence Agency. Which had coordinated the mercenary aggression against the peaceful village from abroad.
Bursts of hate-fueled gunfire claimed the lives of Ministry of the Interior fighter Lidio Rivaflecha Galán and militiaman Ramón Siam Portelles. Also who were guarding the village’s border post.
Armed with little more than their standard-issue weapons, both defenders gave their lives in an unequal close-quarters battle against the stealthily landing invaders. Fulfilling their sacred duty to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty.
Carlos Escalante Gómez—then the head of the Border Guard post and popularly known as “El Chino”—survived a terrorist attack in Boca de Sama. He was on the brink of death after being struck by eight bullets in various parts of his body. His survival remained uncertain throughout a series of surgeries.
The bullets, fired indiscriminately in the darkness, also struck farmer Jesús Igarza Osorio and sisters Ángela and Nancy Pavón Pavón, who were just 13 and 15 years old at the time.
Nancy—whose dream of wearing high-heeled shoes was cut short by the cowardly attack. Now lives with the frustration of never having worn them, due to the multiple amputations she underwent over the years as a result of the shrapnel injuries.
Also that violent blow not only cut short the youth of Ramón Siam but also deprived his daughter, Yudirka Siam González, of a loving father. She was barely seven months old at the time and retains no memories of the man who loved the sea and dreamed of teaching her to fish in its waters.
Through the accounts of family members and neighbors, Yudirka learned of the playful, affable, and supportive nature of her father. He had served as a literacy volunteer on the El Ramón de Antilla peninsula. Where he had made his home before enrolling in the training course that would make him a professional in the Border Guard Troops. The very force in whose ranks he would lose his life.
In exclusive statements to the CNA, Siam González remarked that the crime inflicted an indelible wound on her family. It left her mother a widow at just 24 and created an irreparable void in her own childhood. Because the absence of a father whom no one could replace.
Fifty-five years after that terrorist attack, Boca de Sama—situated where the northeastern territory meets the Atlantic Ocean. It stands as a monument against state-sponsored terrorism. Its waters glisten in the sunlight, and the collective memory preserves. Also the recollection of a tragedy that never broke the spirit of its residents. Their dignity symbolizes the steadfastness of the Cuban people in the face of constant imperial attempts to crush the Revolution.
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