Víctor Bordón Machado

Cuban revolutionary fighter born in the town of Quemado de Güines, Villa Clara, Cuba. He was the first guerrilla fighter to rise up in the plains of the country against the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista. From November 26, 1956, threatened with death by the tyranny, he decided to take up arms, founding in 1954 the first cell in Quemado de Güines.

He was born on the Sevilla farm belonging to the municipality of Quemado de Güines; from childhood he worked in agricultural tasks and studied at the Public School.

He began working at the San Isidro Sugar Mill, today Panchito Gómez Toro; at only 16 years of age, as a stevedore; in addition to practicing his favorite sport: boxing.

His first affiliation was to the Cuban People's Orthodox Party, and later, upon learning of the existence of M-26-7, he founded the first cell in 1954 and participated in the sugar workers' strike of 1955.

From November 27 onwards he initiated the guerrilla struggle and on April 8, 1958 he attacked the Quemado de Güines barracks, then departed for the Escambray mountains where he joined Che, taking Güinía, Santa Isabel, Cumanayagua and participating in the Battle of Santa Clara, departing in the Caravan of Freedom toward Havana.

He was president of the Revolutionary Tribunals that tried the murderers, was Director of Taxes for the Minister of Finance, later was a highway patrol officer and currently Director of the COMETAL Company in Havana.

He hated injustices, which from a very young age he fought against, and the most humble people of the region baptized him as the Avenger of the Zone.

Due to his character and temperament he entered the life of an unwavering revolutionary. He was separated from work for his rebelliousness and had definitively focused his hatred toward tyranny, and the tyranny also centered its crazed eye on the figure of that patriot who was beginning to draw the most determined people of the region who did not look favorably upon abuse and social discrimination.

Bordón was the first guerrilla fighter, risen up in the plains against the tyranny of Fulgencio Batista. On November 26, 1956, he decided to take up arms when threatened with death.

On April 8, 1958 he attacked the Quemado de Güines barracks, which he could not take due to the scarcity of arms and supplies, and later marched toward the Central Highway zone near Manacas and there acted as support for the actions of the revolutionary strike on April 9.

The outbreak of the strike at 11:00 in the morning on April 9, 1958, found Bordón's troops on the Central Highway, where they engaged in fierce combat. To prevent possible reinforcements toward Santa Clara, transit was interrupted, so a bus and several vehicles were burned.

On April 10, a rebel commando directed by Evelio Daniel Villavicencio, who had separated from Bordón's guerrilla, launched an attack to take the Rancho Veloz barracks, an action that failed, in which Villavicencio, Ambrosio Francia —fisherman from Carahatas—, and other valuable comrades died.

Shortly thereafter he departed for the mountains of southeast Villa Clara, where he remained active. Upon the arrival of Che to Las Villas, Víctor Bordón joined him with his troops, and took part in the attack and capture of Güinía and in the liberation actions of the towns of Las Villas until the capture of Placetas.

Che arrived at Loma del Obispo in the Escambray on October 16, 1958. He was appointed by Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz as the highest authority of the July 26 Movement in Las Villas.
He came convinced that along with gradually dismantling the enemy forces in the territory, he had to confront the internal rivalries of the revolutionary groups operating in the mountain massif and achieve unity among the forces, with which he would change the known axiom of "divide and conquer" to that of "In union there is strength."

As part of Che's strategy for the attack on Santa Clara, he headed south and then west to contribute with his operations to preventing possible reinforcements from being sent to Santa Clara when the attack on this city began. On December 27 he engaged in combat and took Santo Domingo, a town from which he later departed to position himself further west on the Central Highway, where he prevented the crossing of tyranny's troops toward the Villa Clara capital, already attacked by Commander Guevara from the 28th.

Víctor Bordón, endowed with a character and generational humanism, earned the appreciation of his brothers-in-arms, plain and gallant people, from beginning to end.

It has never bothered him to pass silently by for more than 50 years: In these years of revolutionary history I have never felt silent, because I have always been in constant creative activity. I am a founder of the Party and have participated in all its congresses. I have never been intimidated, nor have I worried about which place is better to live in, but from which place one is more useful to the Nation, as José Martí said. The most important thing for me is that I have always been at Fidel's side, as one of the most loyal people, and that is the greatest decoration and position I have had and could be given in my life. The promotions, appointments and other functions he has given me, more than as an incentive, I have seen as a commitment of loyalty and work with my people and the Revolution.

His proudest moment: When the Minister of the FAR appointed me among those who headed the transfer of Che's remains to Santa Clara and the subsequent participation in the funeral, I felt proud and I believe it was a prize that Raúl gave me, because he knew my loyalty toward Che.

His greatest joy: Whenever I deliver a Young Club of Computing and Electronics, it is the greatest satisfaction I feel as a builder and revolutionary. It is something indescribable, because one first sees the barren land, and then sees it filled with children and computers. It is a beautiful and achievable dream. Also when I received diplomas from Fidel's hands for our cooperation in the construction of training schools for social workers in Holguín Municipality and in Havana City.

He has preferred to be at the side of: Young people. I have the energy to approach them and for them to approach me. That I learned from Fidel, who is the one who has fought the most to unite the old with the young as the only way to achieve continuity. The Association of Combatants must be at the forefront of that struggle. It is said for a reason that experience is an accumulation of errors, and one must alert those beginning so they do not make them and do not stumble on the same stone.

Victor Bordón was the only commander graduated by Che during the war of liberation and the first guerrilla of the plains. He had risen up in the thickets of Quemado in November 1956 awaiting the arrival in Cuba of the embodiment of his ideas: Fidel Castro.

He met Che in the midst of the Escambray massif in October 1958. With the rank of commander that had been assigned by the direction of the July 26 Movement in Las Villas, he was installed there with about 300 men under his command.

The encounter could not have been more tense and dramatic. Víctor had committed naive errors such as making a pact with commander Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo, the infamous chief of the Second Front of Escambray, a group that was the protagonist of the greatest discord and divisions in those hills.

It was in the midst of that hostile atmosphere when Hornedo Rodríguez spotted Che under a tree and pointed him out to Bordón, who approached, and they shook hands. Víctor recalled his first impression:
I saw before me a pale man who came with an asthma attack and without an inhaler in his hand. Both he and his men looked destroyed by fatigue, but they exuded combat morale from every pore. And I said to myself: "This Argentine is putting even his health to the test." He imposed respect above his physical problems. He seemed to me a legendary figure and a different man. And I was not wrong. I saw him as a gaucho who came on foot from Oriente sent by Fidel. Therefore, at first sight I subordinated myself. And more than 50 years after that idea, I regard it as the most correct attitude I have had in my life.

Inside a coffee-drying warehouse, with the presence of Ramiro Valdés, second chief of the column, the interview began. Visibly annoyed, though without arrogance, and without raising his voice, Che began to probe Bordón or, rather, to pose questions to himself, supported by the silence of the person before him, who only lowered his head in response.

"How are you going to sign a pact that subordinates the July 26 Movement, the most powerful organization, to the Second Front?" And a bit more irritated: "How can you subordinate yourself to that piece of garbage?"

Bordón was very serious and looked at him without hatred in his face, but with a certain sadness and firm resolve. Then Che concluded: "For the errors you have committed, and with a view to liquidating that pact, I have to reduce your rank." And he said no more.

It was then that Bordón answered him: "Commander, I did not come here to fight for ranks, let me fight at your side as just another soldier."

That measure, rather than intimidating Bordón, gave him new vigor to continue the struggle. By the yellowish light of an oil lamp he wrote a letter to Fidel in which he acknowledged his errors and his decision to keep his rifle at the ready.

Che was a man different from all those I had known before. He had an Argentine accent, but he spoke to me in a way no one had ever spoken to me. He was growing with his words. There I understood Fidel's lucidity. Even though he was a foreigner, Fidel had graduated him as the first commander in the Sierra Maestra. Hours after having taken that measure he began to treat me as if nothing had happened, he even made some jokes with me.

Ramiro, for his part, sat at my side and gave me a lot of encouragement. He explained to me what Che was like, that errors were settled in constant struggle and in the daily demonstration of what one was capable of doing. I began to love and admire Ramiro from that instant, and today I regard him more than as a friend and a boss, as a brother.

I met with the officers of my troops and explained to them that this man came sent by Fidel and we had to obey his orders as if he were the Commander-in-Chief himself. I also told them that he seemed to me a very honorable and just man, but the information he had about us was not the best. Everyone agreed that we should move forward.

With him, on the second day, we go to attack the Güinía de Miranda barracks and he appointed me to head a platoon with my comrades and invaders. I told all my men: "We have to show what we are: people without fear and ready to give everything for the nation."

Bordón's admiration for that man of extraordinary stature, sometimes gruff, but with an Andean humanism that showed through above his worn-out guerrilla clothes, grew with the days and nights, with gestures and demonstrations. Here is an anecdote that touched him deeply:

During the return journey from the Banao combat, Che was suffering from a very severe asthma attack and I give him my horse. With us came my friend Sergio Soto, very brave, but very loud-mouthed, and he said: "I am dead tired and the boss goes on the horse." Che heard him, got down from the beast and continued walking. When he arrived at the camp he explained to Sotico why he had accepted the horse ride. As he explained his reasons to Sotico, Sotico began to cry with shame. Subsequently this comrade fell fighting heroically. In Cabaiguán there is a refinery that bears his name.

Bordón's jovial temperament, typical of the open and frank guajiro, was understood by Che, who only allowed some joking liberties to people he valued. They also discussed ideological, historical and political themes and matters:

Che did practically remarkable ideological and political work in the short time he was in the Escambray. He met with peasants, gave them land that had been confiscated from landlords, conversed with the labor movement, created schools in Caballete de Casa, and largely achieved unity, though with the Second Front it was impossible for him to reach an understanding.

He achieved great success with the Pact of El Pedrero, obtaining solidarity and cooperation between the forces of July 26 and the Revolutionary Directorate. He conquered things that for us seemed almost impossible to consolidate.

The airfield was at the edge of the Santa Isabel sugar mill —later Ramón Ponciano—, in Fomento. Che had the idea of capturing a small airplane that landed there and bringing it to the camp. They counted for this on a pilot within the rebel troops.

Víctor Bordón and Captain invader Manuel Hernández Osorio, a folkloric and charismatic guajiro, were designated to carry out this risky mission, accompanied by 50 men determined to achieve the objective.

During the night they made the march and by early morning were positioned in a sugar cane field, silently, facing the landing strip. They remained there until ten in the morning watching over 20 helmets go about without noticing anything. At that hour, one of the guards decides to go to the sugar cane field to relieve himself and as soon as he entered, a rebel nicknamed Holguín opened fire and the lightning attack began.

There comrades Ramón Ponciano and Pineda fell, and Manuel Pérez was wounded. On the enemy side: four dead, two wounded and four prisoners, and one managed to escape. Nine Springfield rifles, one San Cristóbal carbine and one .45 revolver were seized. It was a victorious blow that filled the acting group with joy.

However, Che had received the news that Bordón's troops had been surrounded and, in a show of unparalleled camaraderie, he mounted a horse and set off alone at a gallop to rescue his men.

Upon arriving there he observed that panorama of joy and triumph and with a surge of emotion rarely seen he embraced Bordón and said to him: "Good work, commander, good work!"

It was November 19, 1958. Only a month into unity and combat in the Escambray, Che restored the rank to the guajiro-stevedore Víctor Bordón.

I felt the greatest emotion of my life, not because they gave back my rank, but because I was recognized by such a great man as Che. We looked at each other and without speaking we told each other thousands of things. After that we began to talk about the positive results of the action and the future combats that were approaching.

At five in the morning on December 16, 1958 with the attack on the Fomento barracks the decisive offensive began. Hours before, alongside Che, the troops of commander Víctor Bordón, those of captains Joel Iglesias and Luis Alfonso Zayas, and those of lieutenants Manuel Hernández, Roberto Rodríguez and Miguel Álvarez had approached the installation, protected by a heavy fog.

Che decided that Captain Silva and I prevent reinforcements that might come from Placetas and Cabaiguán. We set up ambushes on the roads. When combat began, both Silva and I were coming and going to observe how the actions against the barracks were developing, since in my case I had the platoons of Choy, Machín and Hornedo there.

In the end, seeing that no reinforcements were going to arrive, we went to the barracks to reinforce the groups until it was surrendered. There were many courageous attitudes from our people.

Following the capture of Fomento, the men under the command of commander Víctor Bordón distinguished themselves in the capture of Cabaiguán and Guayos, and the La Trinchera bridge, in the Sancti Spíritus region. In the first city Bordón took the barracks; meanwhile, the Vaquerito attacked the police station.

Víctor: The most important thing for me is that I have always been at Fidel's side. In Cabaiguán I participated with several of my platoons. The combat lasted six or seven hours and our troops fought very hard. We already had better arms; in my case, a Garand. In the midst of the gunfire Che called me and gave me the order to take Guayos. From there we set off, 10 or 12 men in a "pisicorre". We arrived in the early hours of dawn and attacked the barracks. Israel Chávez showed off, from the back of the installation, his .30 machine gun for the first time. I attacked from the front along with my captains Cente, Yayo Machín, Otten Mesana, Erasmo Peraza and Lieutenant Armando Choy.

At seven in the morning the garrison of the barracks surrendered, but there falls, by the bullet of a sniper, one of the most respected and loved men of my troops: Ramón Balboa.

And the offensive continued crowned with splendor and patriotism:

In Placetas we attacked the barracks with three of our platoons and three of Che's. The guards resisted a little more than in Cabaiguán. We fought mixed with Column 8. The Police station was taken by the troops of Rolando Cubela (traitor), of the Revolutionary Directorate March 13, while the Vaquerito and his suicide platoon confronted the guards posted in the heights.

I moved several times alongside Che, amid that infernal gunfire, I did not see even the slightest sign of fear on his face, rather concerned about the situation of his men and that the balance of the barracks would cause us the least possible casualties.

With Placetas taken, for the rebel troops there was no other path than Santa Clara:

I participated in the meeting at the Tullerías hotel, directed by Che, in which he decides that I reorganize my column. He sends Ramiro Valdés, with 64 combatants, to occupy Sancti Spíritus and then to continue toward Jatibonico. Camilo, in Yaguajay, and Column 8 would enter from the north of Caibarién, Remedios, and Camajuaní with a view to the imminent attack on Santa Clara.

My main mission was to blow up the Sagua River bridge at the entrance to Santo Domingo, to prevent any reinforcement coming from Havana. We could not blow up the bridge, but we stopped the reinforcement in its tracks and it never reached Santa Clara.

With the flame of victorious January he arrived in Havana, but there either Che did not let him rest…

He appointed me his second at La Cabaña and assigned me a teacher to instruct me. He told me that my main task was to improve myself, and the teacher would come to my house to give me lessons in Mathematics, Spanish and other subjects. Later Che would appear and supervise what I had learned and my attendance percentage, which could not be anything other than one hundred percent.

When Che observed that people were sincere and moved forward without affectation, he took a liking to you, though he never told you, but you could tell in the way he listened to you and treated you.

Víctor Bordón has died. The oak has fallen that bullets could not decay. He directed until his death the Cometal company, an entity outstanding in metal products.

Rebel Army Commander Víctor Bordón Machado was specially invited to the commemoration of the 55th anniversary of the creation of the Las Villas Front. Perhaps a demonstration of the esteem that Che held for him is contained in this unpublished anecdote from Oscar Fernández Mell, physician invader of Column 8 Ciro Redondo and one of the men who were with Commander Ernesto Guevara in 1965 in the Belgian Congo guerrilla:

"As is known, the Congolese leadership asked us to withdraw and some comrades, already trained, could not join. I do remember that when I entered the Congo and reported to Che about the men who should join the guerrilla, I told him precisely: 'Among them comes Bordón.' And he answered me: 'Damn, that's good news, because that guajiro is one of the best of the best.'"

Bordón passed away in Havana at the age of 82 from an acute complication.