Rubén Susano Rehustiano Aldama Argüelles

He was born in Pedro Betancourt, province of Matanzas, son of humble people, his father was named Francisco Aldama Sotomayor, a hardworking and energetic man, his mother Laura Arguelles a kind, sweet and noble woman.

His education was always based on honesty, discipline, respect for others and patriotism for Cuba

He completed his primary education in his native town, acquiring his first two jobs organizing boxing competitions.

Revolutionary Actions
On May 20th, Rubén, only 13 years old, exhorted his classmates in the town park in a public speech to fight the tyrant Machado and his henchmen

In 1934 he moved to live in Havana in the Alturas de la Víbora neighborhood on Damují street between Sagua and Peralejo, gaining the friendship of revolutionary Antonio Guiteras who shaped Rubén's revolutionary idealism and who taught him the sacred duty of living for the Homeland and for freedom

He participated by inclination in the 1940 Golden Gloves tournament and went on several occasions representing Cuba, he moved away from boxing because he disagreed with the control that American gangs exercised over this sport

After the assassination of Antonio Guiteras at the morrillo of Matanzas, without stopping working on the streetcars, he began the redemptive task of fighting for freedom. Together with other young people of that time he belonged to revolutionary organizations and came to understand that these were gangster organizations, so when he realized it he distanced himself from them.

On March 10th when Fulgencio Batista's coup d'état took place, Rubén climbed the steps of the homeland

Testimony
It is said that on one occasion the gangster leaders of mujalismo unionism tried to buy him to abandon the just demands he was raising in favor of his colleagues, rejecting with angry and fiery gestures he expressed: Men who sell themselves deserve death.

His rejection cost him a beating from Mujal's hired assassins. He began to mobilize the union masses and, when the Revolutionary Directorate was founded, he marched arm in arm with revolutionary José Antonio Echeverría, being the first martyr of the organization. The Batista police suspected him and detentions began, beatings, but nothing made him desist from his firm purpose of fighting for the freedom of Cuba for the poor and by the poor.

His colleagues tell that once when he was detained by Ventura he threatened to kill him and he with his firmness expressed:

"Yes, I know that in the long run you will kill me and you will kill hundreds more, but you can be sure of one thing we will win the battle".

This was not the only time he was imprisoned, they also accused him of participating in a plan to attempt against Fulgencio Batista being tried together with Armando, Enrique, Faustino Pérez and other young people in this case the prosecutor was forced to make a jocular allusion when recalling Rubén during the preparation of evidence had stated that he was included in the case because the police needed a little Black man implicated, this occurred in 1955.

Finally one day. For his incessant activity he served prison time on more than one occasion. In the last one, which occurred on a day like today, Ventura and Carratala broke into his house, he was violently taken from his home along with his brother Guido and he was made to physically disappear without them being able to extract a compromising word from him.

Death

It is said that his body was thrown into the sea, other versions say that he was buried alive but in fact his death has not been determined to this moment.

His parents were fighters at Playa Girón and president of the Association of Revolutionary Combatants of Cuba. In 1997 Faure Chomón, who knew Rubén Aldama Arguelles, visited the house where he lived and they gave him the gloves he used in the Golden Gloves tournament and today they are displayed in the Giraldo Córdova Cardín room.