María Escobar Laredo

Collaborator of the Cuban Liberation Army during the War of '95. She maintained permanent contact with the main insurgent leaders in the province of Las Villas throughout the entire conflict. General-in-Chief Máximo Gómez distinguished her with the title of Colonel.

She was born in Caibarién on May 8, 1866. Her parents were Don Hipólito Escobar y Martell, a wealthy Spanish merchant, and Doña Restitula Laredo Farto, a native of Remedios and from one of the principal families of that town.

The first years of her life were spent with her family and her education, though deficient, took place in a private school directed by Lutgarda Fleitas.

She stood out as a promoter of separatist and liberal ideas. Her physique was slender, graceful and feminine in all respects, with good manners, but with a firm character.

Her temperament was passionate to the point of being revolutionary in an era of great social restrictions for women. Her intelligence was clear although she did not have a level of culture that would have enhanced it.

At the age of 23, in 1889, she married a Spanish merchant, Francisco A. Jolis, and from this marriage had 2 children: a boy who died at age 3 and a girl, Macuca Jolis.

A few years after the marriage it was said that there were marital disagreements over patriotic matters. Her husband, when the war began, left for the United States.

Her separatist ideas manifested themselves for the first time when, at the beginning of the war, on a certain occasion some officers of the Spanish Army lodged in her house as a commitment of her husband and she satirized them in conversations about the mistreatment of the Spanish government toward Cubans.

In January 1895 she wrote some letters to the patriots who were fighting in the countryside and received a messenger from the liberation forces who delivered her a letter requesting office supplies, paper and ink, with the objective of being able to publish a newspaper. They also needed a printing press. This was her first contact with General Francisco Carrillo.

It was a risky task to carry out this mission, as Caibarién had a strong Corps of Volunteers and was invaded by a large column of Spanish troops.

The patriot Marino Federico Pedrosa (Dr. Rafael) was in charge of transporting the bulky printing press equipment to the seaside. The heaviest parts were carried in a coffin and they took advantage of a downpour.

Like a pauper's funeral, the installation of the Mambisa printing press was carried out, where the newspaper La República was first published, which later, modified and expanded by General Carrillo, was called Las Villas. The paper and other supplies were paid for by María Escobar Laredo and were also provided by the patriot Abelardo Figueroa, who haggled from the printing press of the newspaper El Orden in Caibarién.

This patriot María Escobar Laredo was the president of the Club Vencedores made up of 48 men and women who fought clandestinely in enemy ports. This club, like others, arose in response to the call of the Cuban Revolutionary Party founded by José Martí.

She used two pseudonyms: Esmeralda and Vencedor. This club, directed by María Escobar Laredo, faced the most difficult tasks within enemy ranks, with her conducting military intelligence work. Through María's mediation, men who would bring expeditions left for New York, and members of her club would infiltrate them through safe locations on the coasts of our province of Las Villas.

Several times María and her subordinates had to appear before Military Command when important correspondence was discovered, especially that which spoke of a loan that would be made by a Commerce House in Caibarién, which was María Escobar Laredo, but they managed to escape unscathed.

She had to take risks, such as when a bullet pierced her house and wounded a young woman passing by, but she knew this attack was meant for her, yet she declared to Military Command that she thought the shot was from someone cleaning their weapons.

She maintained valuable correspondence with the principal leaders of the insurrection in this province, notably General Francisco Carrillo and General-in-Chief Máximo Gómez. She fulfilled all requests of the Revolution.

Each time she or her men were summoned to Spanish Military Command, she insisted with talent, presenting very accurate defense arguments. Also, when she was interviewed at her home by Military Commander Lamadrid, she knew how to deny with cunning any accusation or suspicion.

The contribution of the club directed by María Escobar in correspondence, weapons, ammunition, food, medicine, clothing, and shoes was the greatest of all, even in the midst of Weyler's Reconcentration.

She also had to handle all correspondence coming from the United States as well as the difficult matters that derived from it. Great importance was given to handling General Máximo Gómez's correspondence, which even after the war was maintained as evidence of a strong friendship.

At the end of the War and during the stay of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution in Caibarién, María Escobar accompanied the Generalísimo in all official acts and he distinguished her with the rank of Colonel for her valuable clandestine work.

Don Francisco Jolis, husband of María Escobar, returned to Caibarién a few months after the war ended and resumed his life alongside his wife. A few years later he died.

The Veterans rendered him a Guard of Honor at his casket and on the day of his burial the Forces of the Cuban National Army fired the regulation volleys, according to his military rank of Colonel.