Reinaldo Boris Luis Santa Coloma

Born in the town of San Nicolás, he completed his primary studies in his native town and later his upper secondary education at Instituto Nro.1 de La Habana, subsequently enrolling in the Commercial Sciences program.

To earn his living, he worked in different places in the capital until he obtained work at the Frigidaire agency, where he carried out union activities earning the respect and sympathy of his colleagues and problems with management for establishing himself as a defender of their rights, for which he was fired.

In search of new work to earn a living, he obtained a position in a small agency and that is where he was caught by the treacherous coup d'état of March 10, 1952.

He, like other young people, headed to the University in search of the necessary weapons to combat the coup, but these never arrived.

The steps of the university hill were the setting that same year when he met Haydeé Santamaría during an event commemorating the execution of Medical students. She would be from then on his girlfriend and companion in struggle.

One month after the military coup perpetrated by Batista, Boris wrote a letter to the tyrant boldly accusing him of theft and embezzlement of State funds.

Identified with the aspirations of those who dreamed of a better, free and sovereign homeland and for which so many dignified Cubans had shed their blood in the countryside, he then linked himself with the group of young people who would not let the ideas of the Master die in the year of his Centenary.

He organized together with Fidel and Abel the feat of Moncada, that small motor that would later set in motion an even greater motor.

Simple, honest and tireless fighter for justice, equality and the freedom of Cuba, he considered, like Fidel, that armed struggle was the only and true path to free ourselves from the yoke to which the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista had subjected us.

Upon setting out toward his encounter with history he bids farewell to his mother telling her that he would travel to Varadero beach in Matanzas.

During the actions of July 26, 1953 he was alongside Fidel in the takeover of Moncada. When the element of surprise was lost, he managed to undertake the retreat by orders of Fidel who did not want his assaulting companions to immolate themselves uselessly.

The survivors of such a heroic deed recount that once outside the barracks he headed to Saturnino Lora hospital in search of his companions, but was surprised and taken prisoner.

Savagely tortured like Abel, the henchmen were unable to extract from him a single word that would betray his companions.

This courageous young man thus inscribed his name in the long list of Cuban martyrdom.