Given the vicissitudes of life that no one really understands, or is able to decipher, Mario Muñoz Monroy died on July 26, a date that should have been a happy one for him, his 41st birthday.
He was murdered on the day of his birth, a fate he did not foresee, although, as one might imagine, he was well aware of the danger posed by his participation in the Moncada assault.
Perhaps that is why, just minutes before the operation began, he jovially questioned the date chosen by Fidel, the young lawyer leading the rebels in the attempt to seize the Moncada garrison, who was, incidentally, 15 years younger than the well-known doctor from Colón.
“What a date you’ve picked! I’m turning 41 today,” he said, and then taking care not to upset Fidel at this tense moment, he gave the young revolutionary a hug.
Mario Muñoz had been selected to provide medical care for the insurgents during the armed action to occupy the Santiago de Cuba garrison, with the goal of seizing weapons there, to be followed by a call, issued on radio, for a general strike by the city’s people.
If a nationwide strike did not develop, the plan was to retreat to the mountains and launch a guerilla war against the dictatorship.
Shortly before leaving the Siboney farm to head into battle, the doctor, eager to prove his courage, calmly put on the uniform the combatants would wear. Noticing this, Fidel told him to take it off and wear his white lab coat, thinking this would be safer. Dr. Munoz was killed in this attire, unarmed, carrying only a briefcase with a few medical instruments and supplies.
Historians have noted that, according to the rebel plan, given his knowledge in this arena, the doctor was also to be responsible for operation of the Santiago de Cuba radio station, which would broadcast the revolutionary manifesto calling for a general strike against the Batista dictatorship.
It is understandable, of course, why the loss of Mario Muñoz moved Fidel so deeply. In his self-defense statement, now known by the title History Will Absolve Me, he denounced the crimes committed on July 26, 1953 and over the days that followed, emphasizing the human and professional quality of a man, who, once taken prisoner, was shot in the head, from the back, and left lying face down in a pool of blood.
"The first prisoner killed was our doctor, Dr. Mario Muñoz, who was not carrying a weapon, or wearing a uniform. He was dressed in his doctor’s coat... and would have treated both an adversary and a wounded friend with the same dedication.”
Colón city historian Carlos Manuel González Quintana notes that Dr. Muñoz was able to provide a comfortable life for his family, with no material limitations of any kind, but he was always concerned for the poor and his commitment to just causes was unwavering.
The fact that he set aside his personal well-being to embark on this journey motivated by a sense of duty, and sacrificed his life, reveals his great altruism and integrity, the historian states.
His leadership qualities and sense of honesty were striking, attributes that were visible at an early age, according to Heriberta Martinez, his elementary school teacher.
In his home town, he endeared himself to all who knew him. Here one can easily follow his life’s path, noted González, who has studied the work of a man he greatly admires.
The historian reports that Mario Muñoz was able to move from one task to another with great agility. "He mastered several branches of science and technology. He was attracted to everything that meant progress for human society. In his free time, he learned to fly small airplanes, was a fervent amateur radio operator, and liked photography and filmmaking. In his youth, he played basketball, and enjoyed baseball, swimming and fishing.”
His nephew, Roberto Muñoz Sordo, who was 11 months old when the Moncada assault occurred, says his uncle's death marked the entire family. "For my grandparents Marceliano and Catalina, it was a devastating blow. On more than one occasion I heard at home that Mario could not abide injustice, that he was against anything that was poorly done and very demanding of himself."
Nothing summarizes the life of this revolutionary better than the stories collected by researchers Miriam Hernández and Eduardo Marrero, for their book El Médico del Moncada, published by Ediciones Verde Olivo in 2000.
They show, among other merits, that Mario Muñoz was defined by his good heart, his exquisite sensitivity as a medical professional and his love for his family, especially his two daughters.
"It is difficult to separate his intimate and family life from his professional and revolutionary life. They complement each other, they offer us the real being, without mystifications, revealing his character and the reasons for his actions.
"He grew up receiving and offering affection. He loved his mother dearly and was very close to his father, who helped in his photographic studio almost every day, despite his own multiple responsibilities.
"This strict family upbringing, and its reflection in action, forged his incorruptible and rebellious character in the face of any injustice or violation of the moral principles with which he was raised, but his serious and sometimes tempestuous character allowed him to adapt, naturally and in a very Cuban way, to the most dissimilar situations."
Located at number 74, on old Diago Street in the Matanzas city of Colón, is the Mártires del Moncada museum, a permanent tribute to the province’s seven sons who lost their lives in the historic assault.
Once the residence of Dr. Mario Muñoz, this house was where the doctor met with Fidel and Abel Santamaría to discuss preparations for the assault on the Moncada and from where he departed for Santiago de Cuba.
After being used for diverse purposes, in 1974 it became a museum, to preserve personal belongings of the assailants.
As a site of historical and cultural interest, the building was declared a Local Monument by the city of Colon, and charged with the task of studying and disseminating the life and work of these exemplary members of the Centenary Generation, who were determined not let the memory of José Martí die, 100 years after his birth.
The house inspires reflection and is especially attractive to the youngest visitors who come to the house to learn more about the Moncada doctor, one of the city’s most beloved sons.
Some of the older natives who remember him describe Muñoz almost as a relative, close, honest and kind, who would often not charge for the medical services he provided.
OF FURTHER INTEREST
According to the historian Carlos Manuel González Quintana, the exact day and circumstances in which Fidel and Mario met is unknown, although some investigators believe it occurred on May 4, 1952, during a visit to the city of Colón by the young lawyer in the company of Abel Santamaría and Jesús Montané Oropesa.
Others note reports that upon his return from the funeral of Eduardo Chibás in Havana, Muñoz told one of his best friends that he had spoken with Dr. Fidel Castro, the only man in Cuba, he thought, who could replace the political leader and founder of the Cuban People's Party (Orthodox) under the banner of “self-respect versus money.”
To date, neither hypothesis has been fully clarified. What is known for sure is the affection that characterized this relationship, González stated.
Another interesting fact is that, just before the combatants left Siboney, heading into battle, Mario interceded with Fidel to have Melba and Haydée act as his assistants, as nurses, at the Saturnino Lora Hospital, a gesture that the Cuban heroines never forgot.
Mario Muñoz Monroy was born in Colón, Matanzas province, on July 26, 1912, the son of Marceliano Muñoz Urra and Catalina Monroy Artiles.
After the triumph of the Revolution, as the rebels advanced westward toward Havana, on Fidel's orders, Camilo Cienfuegos stopped in Colón to visit the heroic doctor’s family.
The first hospital built by the Revolution was located in the city of Colon, and bears his name. The provincial military hospital and the sugar mill built in the municipality of Los Arabos are also named in his honor.
On March 6, 1958, Fidel chose the glorious name of Mario Muñoz Monroy for the Rebel Army’s third guerrilla front, led by Comandante Juan Almeida Bosque.
SOURCES:
El Médico del Moncada, by Miriam Hernández and Eduardo Marrero.
El grito del Moncada, by Mario Mencia.
EcuRed.
