Cuban revolutionary hero Gilberto García Alonso dies at age 95

Via the Communist Party of Cuba, translated from the Spanish

On Friday afternoon, Jesús Gilberto García Alonso, a member of the Granma yacht expedition, passed away at the age of 95.

Gilberto, as everyone called him, was born on June 29, 1930 in Havana.

He started his working life at fourteen, and in his free time, he learned blacksmith welding and studied typing. In 1950, while employed at the Vaccaro Line dock, he formed the employees' union, resulting in his dismissal. This incident connected him with Dr. Fidel Castro Ruz, who acted as his defense attorney in the case filed with the Ministry of Labor, successfully securing his reinstatement.

He became a member of the Orthodox Party at a young age. Following the coup d'état on March 10, 1952, he was among those who went to the University of Havana to voice his protest and demonstrate his determination to oppose Batista.

Following the events at Moncada, he stayed in touch with several comrades who had taken part in them. He was involved in fundraising, demonstrations, and acquiring weapons. After the political amnesty was declared and the 26th of July Movement was formed, he became a member. In June 1956, he was dispatched to Mexico.

On November 25, 1956, he left from Tuxpan as part of the expedition aboard the Granma. Following the battle of Alegría de Pío, he was among a group of four fighters who managed to escape the area, but he was captured and sent to Boniato prison.

In the early years of the Revolution he served in the Army on the Isle of Pines, later in the Air Force and finally in the Department of Investigations of the Rebel Army (DIER), where he reached the rank of captain.

He later held other important administrative and foreign service responsibilities. Between 1981 and 1982 he was Head of the South American Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from 1983 to 1985 Ambassador to Cape Verde. In 1988 he retired and joined the Provincial Directorate of Attention to Combatants in Havana City.

Due to his dedicated attitude and unwavering commitment to completing the missions assigned to him throughout his exemplary life, he was awarded several honors and recognitions by the Council of State, including the following notable ones:

Medals of Combatant of the Clandestine Struggle and of the War of Liberation, Medal of Combatant of Column One; commemorative medals for the XX, XXX, XL, L and LX Anniversaries of the FAR, the September 28 Medal of the CDRs and Medal for the 50th Anniversary of the State Security Organs. He held the status of Founder of the Communist Party of Cuba.

Gilberto was deeply loved by his family, including his wife and two children, who were by his side at the end of his life.

In this remarkable fighter, his humility, simplicity, and unwavering loyalty to Fidel and Raúl always stood out. He consistently defended unity among revolutionaries and devoted himself to the tasks assigned by the Revolution until his final moments. He established a strong connection with the people and especially with the youth, notably the University Student Federation, by supporting them in their endeavors.

His body will be cremated and his ashes will be temporarily deposited in the Pantheon of the Veterans of the Colón Necropolis.

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