Antonio Santiago García

He was born in Placetas, Las Villas, into a middle-class family formed by Mardonio Santiago Valdés and Leocadia García Conde.

The first years of his life took place in his native city, where he completed his first studies in renowned schools in Placetas. He completed his primary education at the Academia de José Martín. He began his secondary education at the Colegio Luz y Caballero and later continued in Cienfuegos as a boarding student at the Colegio Champañat, where he did not finish with the purpose of working.

He began his working life in his native town as a pharmacy messenger and later as a stevedore of tobacco bundles in a warehouse of the company run by his brother.

In 1941 he moved to the United States, where he began to work and study. He volunteered as a sailor in the American Navy in which he participated in numerous battles in the Pacific.

In 1946, after World War II ended, he was discharged from the Navy, returned to Cuba and settled in Placetas, where he worked in different trades.

In 1948 he married Aleida Silvia Bello Miranda, from whose union his two children Antonio and Ricardo were born.

In 1950 he began working as a truck driver first and then as a taxi driver with an automobile of his own, with which he came into conflict with his relatives and with the wealthy class of Placetan society, who were indignant with Tony, and he without a single trace of shame used to loudly proclaim his route in front of them: "Going to Santa Clara".

That same year discrepancies began to arise between the taxi drivers, called boteros, and the administration of the Santa Clara – Sancti Spíritus bus line, since the latter opposed allowing the taxi drivers to continue making trips from Placetas to Santa Clara. These conflicts grew so much that the police began to prevent these drivers from working.

Dissatisfied with this situation, Tony, who was already emerging as a political agitator, organized his colleagues for the just demand of their rights. At the head of a group of drivers, he declared a strike and took over the Municipal Town Hall of Placetas for seven days, demanding his right to transport passengers and for a reduction in gasoline prices. The attitude of the taxi drivers forced the then municipal mayor to seek an understanding between them and the transportation company. The strike ended successfully, the demands made by the protesters were granted, and the conflict was resolved.

The incident worsened Tony Santiago's economic and political situation. Recognized by all as a leader of the labor movement, he could not find work in Placetas, so he had to move to Havana.

In the capital, working as an employee of the match factory, Consolidada Industrial S.A., in the face of the injustices committed by the owner against the workers, he set out to organize a labor union that would represent and defend their interests. When Fulgencio Batista's coup d'état occurred on March 10, 1952, the factory administration fired Tony and accused him of being a communist.

The prevailing situation in the country and its impact on his personal sphere obliged Tony to travel again to the United States in mid-1952.

After the Assault on the Presidential Palace on March 13, 1957, Tony came into contact with the first revolutionary exiles who arrived in the United States. Tony's house located at 708 South West 19 Ave., Miami, became a true refuge for all the exiles who arrived in the city.

Tony participated in fundraising for the struggle, tried to obtain weapons and made plans to achieve it, attended meetings that took place with maximum seriousness and caution, was present at acts of repudiation that were carried out in the United States against Batista's tyrannical regime and collaborated efficiently in the preparations that were being made to organize the expedition that would arrive in Cuba by Nuevitas, Camagüey, heading to the Escambray.

Although the decision was that Tony Santiago would remain in the United States providing assistance to other fighters, at his request he was given the opportunity to return to Cuba to join the armed struggle.

On February 2, 1958 he returned by air to Havana. He immediately traveled to Sancti Spíritus and made contact with members of the Directorio Revolucionario 13 de Marzo who would help him.

He joined the forces of the Directorio Revolucionario 13 de Marzo in the Escambray, under the command of Faure Chomón. After the expulsion of Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo from these forces, Tony Santiago assumed the leadership of the Comando 13 de Marzo. He participated in the battles of La Diana, Charco Azul, Río Negro, La Felicidad, Banao, Michelena, La Papelera, Pico Tuerto, Dos Bocas, Veguitas, Manantiales, Güinía de Miranda, Placetas, and others.

The Leadership of the Directorio Revolucionario 13 de Marzo appointed Commander Tony Santiago as one of the officers who would receive the Invading Column No. 8 Ciro Redondo under the command of Commander Ernesto Che Guevara.

On December 1, 1958, the Pacto del Pedrero was signed, the result of the tremendous work carried out by Che in pursuit of unity since his arrival in the Sierra del Escambray. It was signed between the Movimiento 26 de Julio and the Directorio Revolucionario 13 de Marzo, which was extended to the rest of the revolutionary organizations that wished to sign it, including the Partido Socialista Popular (PSP) which immediately expressed its willingness to support unity. Commander Tony Santiago was present during the signing of the Pact, as he was appointed by his revolutionary qualities to officially participate in such an important event.

After the Pacto del Pedrero was signed, a new mission was entrusted to Commander Tony Santiago: he was to return to the United States to expedite a shipment of weapons that the underground movement had been unable to deliver to Cuba. While carrying out the assigned task, the triumph of the Revolution caught him off guard.

Upon his return to Cuba, new tasks were assigned to him which he pursued with enthusiasm.

The greed and conspiracies of former comrades sowed intrigue around the personality of Commander Tony Santiago, who on October 23 requested his resignation as commander.

While holding the position of superintendent of Road Transport, counterrevolutionary elements made propositions to him to betray the Cuban Revolution. The ringleader of these individuals was known as "El Doctorcito," his name was Vladimir Rodríguez Fajardo, who proposed that he join the counterrevolutionary organization Movimiento Anticomunista Católico Unido (MACU) which had relations with the United States embassy in Cuba and with the CIA. Tony informed his immediate superior, the then Minister of Transport, Commander Julio Camacho Aguilera. The information reached the highest levels of the country until it reached Commander Ramiro Valdés, chief of the DIER. The State Security immediately contacted him.

The organs of Cuban State Security determined that Tony would infiltrate the ranks of the counterrevolution and report on its actions as the agent Oliverio.

In 1960 it was the third time that a CIA chief had traveled to Havana to establish contact with counterrevolutionary organizations. The matter that brought him to the Island was the organization of Banditry in Cuba. The chief of the Central American area, Luis C. Herbert, met through the mediation of a CIA agent, Mr. Davis, whose real name was Marcos Behar, with the counterrevolutionary leaders José Ramón Ruiz Sánchez, self-titled Commander Augusto, and Vladimir Rodríguez, El Doctorcito. Tony Sileo, chief of the CIA station in Havana, also participated in the meeting.

At this meeting, Commander Augusto proposed including in the organization's plans a former commander of the Rebel Army discontented with the Revolution, well acquainted with the Escambray area and with war experience. His name: Tony Santiago.

On September 9, 1960, in his first report, agent Oliverio reported on the conspiracy of the counterrevolutionary organization MACU and the proposal they had made to him to assume the leadership of action of this organization.

With the undercover work of agent Oliverio, several plans for terrorist actions were thwarted, including an attempt on the life of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro. Also with his reports he would contribute to neutralizing Operation Silence by the CIA.

On January 8, 1961, he departed for the United States to carry out a mission that became a journey with no return. That day, Tony informed the Department of State Security that he would leave with two enemies for Caibarién, where he would board a fishing boat called "el Pensativo" bound for the United States.