As a tribute to the 59th Anniversary of the Victory of Playa Girón and the declaration of the socialist character of the Revolution, a combatant tells us of the moments he lived during that historical event and about the importance of following in the footsteps traced by the triumph of the Cuban Revolution.  His name is Ángel López Barrio, better known as Angelito, and he has worked for more than 40 years uninterruptedly at the Ministry of Communications as the administrator of the Luis A. Turcios Lima theater hall.

There are so many anecdotes that I would like to tell you about, but the one I want to recount today is that about the privilege I had of fighting the enemy alongside our undefeated Commander-In-Chief, Fidel:

''On our way to San Blas, we had to face the first bombing of the mercenary air-force, we lost many of our comrades there, and some of us were wounded. Those of us who were hurt were taken out of there in a Jeep, accompanied by comrade Tomassevich, who was the head of operations of that area. A few moments later, we arrived at Central Australia, and at the nursery we were taken care of. After that, we received the news that Fidel was at the Central Office and we went there, at least those of us who could still walk. When he saw me, he asked me:

"-Boy, how old are you?

"- 14, I answered

"-Where's your weapon?

"As Tomassevich tried to explain ... all of a sudden, the Commander grabbed the machine gun he was carrying around his shoulders and gave it to me.

"-Are you going to keep fighting? He asked me.

"-Of course I will. That was my answer.

"A while later, we left Central Australia with the police battalion, along with Efigenio Ameijeiras towards Playa Larga. After two unforgettable combats we arrived at Playa Girón on the 19th.  The mercenaries were already trying to escape, and there was a self-propelled gun aiming at a ship that was fleeing. Fidel, who was there, said: "They can't leave", he climbed onto the self-propelled gun and shot it, he hit the prow of the ship. Afterwards, he got down and told me: "Boy, we won." His words must never be forgotten.

"On April 21st, I came back to Havana with my Battalion (117th Battalion), and today my machine gun is at the Museum of the Revolution. That's something that makes me very proud.

"Allow me to say to those who are young today that the old combatants will stand beside them to keep flying the flags of socialism.

"Long Live Fidel!

Long Live Raúl!