Raúl Díaz Argüelles

Young Cuban revolutionary who distinguished himself, first in the struggle against Batista's tyranny and later, in the midst of the revolutionary process, in the Struggle Against Bandits, and in the fulfillment of internationalist missions in Angola.

He was born in Marianao, La Habana. He completed his primary education in 1949.

He was sent by his family to the United States to study, where he enrolled in a private military academy, from which he graduated as a bachelor in 1953.

Upon finishing school and leaving on vacation, he returned to Cuba and joined the struggle against tyranny, together with Juan Pedro Carbó Serviá, José Machado, Fructuoso Rodríguez, José Antonio Echeverría and other comrades.

In August 1955 he was involved in a plan to attack the Presidential Palace, the Bureau of Investigations and the Motorized Radio, which could not be carried out. He was also compromised in an attempt on Batista's life. Pursued by the henchmen of tyranny, Díaz-Argüelles left for exile in November 1956.

In August 1957 he returned piloting a plane with supplies for the revolutionary struggle. The aircraft crashed on the Vía Monumental, the weapons were salvaged and hidden in the town of Jamaica. Unable to establish contact with his fellow fighters, most of whom were exiled or killed, he decided to return to Miami on a cargo ship.

At the end of 1958, aboard the Yacht Escapade, he landed in Bahía de Nuevitas, Camagüey, together with 15 other revolutionaries.

He participated in the attempt on the minister of interior of the regime, who was wounded when García Lavandero was killed shortly after; Díaz-Argüelles then took over his position as chief of action of the Revolutionary Directorate "13 de Marzo".

He was present at the attack on the 15th police station, and later, together with Gustavo Machín, he went to Escambray, where he was promoted to commander.

During the Campaign of Las Villas he fought in Fomento, Báez, Cabaiguán, Placetas and Trinidad.

After the revolutionary triumph he was appointed executive assistant to the G-5 inspection directorate of the Rebel Army General Staff, later head of the Technical Department of Investigations of the National Revolutionary Police (PNR).

In February 1962 he joined the ranks of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR), where he held various responsibilities.

He fought actively in the Struggle Against Bandits until the counterrevolutionary bands operating in the province of Matanzas were exterminated.

In the following years, he fulfilled various internationalist missions. In 1975 he was assigned by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro and the Minister of the FAR to lead a military mission in Angola, to collaborate with the training of the MPLA forces, in accordance with a request made by that country's government.

With the escalation of war, when South Africa intervened, he led Cuban troops and MPLA forces that contained the advance of South African forces. He died in the early morning of December 11, 1975, in Hengo, province of Cuanza Sur.

Decorations
On December 2, 1976, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.