THE FIRST CHARGE OF THE MACHETE
When we wandered
lonely in a time with no present.
When even the tree refused to share
its scent seconded by ancient whispers.
When the creek, far away, among shadows, turned into sadness
to let the enemy die of thirst.
When we wandered lonely in a time with no present.
We had to rescue the ages of life.
Then we had to fight on the machete's edge.
Then we had to kill on the machete's edge.
Win a thousand battles on the machete's edge
which we are delivering today.
It was really... every moment... every moment was impressive.
First, the surprise of seeing all that people,
all that people over you
and then seeing that they wore machetes, that they used machetes.
We had never fought against such a weapon.
Which was the most impressive moment for you?
When I realized that
they didn't use the machete like we use the sword.
That they don't fight like soldiers.
They can strike you from downwards,
or upwards, or from a side, just the same
and you don't know what to do.
To them, we weren't men,
we were bushes, shrubs, trees
and against that, there's nothing fencing could do.
Have you used the bayonet? Do you know how to use it?
Yes, of course,
but what we had been taught was of no use.
To them, we are not men.
But you knew how to defend yourselves with the bayonet.
Yes, as soldiers we know perfectly how to use a bayonet.
You don't get it. You just don't get it.
I'm telling you
that I saw a carbine cut in two with just one blow.
How could it not cut arms and legs too?
Limbs and, well...
Some who fought by our side were struck down right next to me.
They had wounds up to 20 cm. deep.
And how long did the macheting last?
It seems to me
like it's impossible to tell. It seemed like an eternity to me.
I think
it lasted about two hours.
And what would you say if I told you it lasted just 15 minutes?
Manuel Milanés Mujica, landowner at Bayamo.
Benjamín Ramírez Rondón, soldier of the Liberation Army.
Dolores Lapinel Ortega, citizen of Bayamo.
Manuel Antonio Vázquez from Baire, craftsman.
José García, councilor of Bayamo.
Feliz Figueredo, colonel of the Liberation Army.
Carlos Jorge Herreros, from Jiguaní, notary.
That's very frequent in these times.
We have a great interest in your opinion since you're in the military,
about the duration of this charge of the machete.
Well, look,
I'll tell you the truth, I don't really think it's important
the time, the duration, of this charge.
I mean, the truly important are the consequences,
and we all agree about that. -I think we do.
Consequences has been positive.
Right, that's why I said having a discussion was difficult.
Well, yes, but I do believe
that we should try to anyway. That's why we're here.
We could talk a some more about the consequences, don't you think?
Of course, why don't you start yourself?
As I see it
we had some achievements.
Even better, a lot of achievements.
Some more vital than others, but all of them important.
The most important thing is that we have secured the rebellion.
Excuse me, extended it too. Fighting is not reduced to Bayamo
The Camagüey has risen too. I wouldn't forget that.
But the latter is a consequence of the former.
I think the same, the main thing was to consolidate the revolution
and we've done it
and in such a way that nothing could stop it.
Well, I think it's all important.
How is the people who's outside called?
You mean emigration.
Yes. The emigration has sent men and weapons.
One important thing is that many people joined
and well, there's more things, right? -Of course there's more.
The decree abolishing slavery, which for me is
one of the most important things of the revolution.
Well, one thing leads to another.
Actually, men from other countries have arrived,
Cubans and foreigners,
who have military experience and can help us a lot.
The most important thing is that Bayamo remains under our control.
If it was under spanish control, none of this could've been achieved.
So the most important thing is the machete.
Without it we'd had lost Bayamo.
The history of many countries
is full of rebellions that fought with their working tools.
With axes, with sickles, with scythes.
And we used ours.
The machete.
What I do know is that we have a weapon and we know how to use it
and the spanish know it and they fear ir as the devil himself.
Here I have an original Collins.
People call it The Guaranteed because of the warranty mark from the maker.
Here's the seal.
It's made from perfect steel. Really good.
I believe it can be very well used by a woman.
I've seen it being used by everyone on the fields. Men, women.
Look, you start to use it as a child
so then it's like it gets stuck to your hand.
And that's exactly what the spanish soldiers are afraid of.
What they fear the most.
The mambí and the machete seem to be united,
to be one thing.
That fear in the enemy
and this weapon of ours
are thing we'll take advantage of
while the fight goes on
and the fight will last until we're free.
What you've just seen and heard
it's going on in the Eastern Department at this very moment.
In the final months of this dramatic year of 1868
the, until yesterday, ever faithful Island of Cuba is in war.
Weeks ago, in the early days of October
Mr. Carlos Manuel de Céspedes with a determined group
defied Spain's power.
After a few skirmishes won and also some setbacks
the bourgeoning rebellion had its first great victory,
San Salvador de Bayamo.
Founded four centuries ago by Diego Velázquez,
it's one of the most important cities of the Eastern Department
and the whole island. It was taken by the rebels
after a fully fledged Spanish capitulation.
The city remains still under cuban control
and became the center of the revolution.
To this city, converging from Manzanillo and Santiago de Cuba,
have been sent two Spanish columns
commanded by the colonels Campillo and Quiroz.
Both columns' objectives:
reconquest Bayamo,
crush the rebellion.
On October 21
the column commanded by Col. Quiroz enters and claim the town of Baire
at a short distance from Bayamo
stopping there without any apparent reason
their so far quite fast march towards Santiago de Cuba.
Col. Quiroz, why did you stop in Baire?
Why didn't you march on to Bayamo?
Well, believe it or not
a soldier must rest too.
Our men have taken a long walk.
The weather wasn't very kind
specially for those of us who come from cold countries.
Some of them required a bloodletting.
We had also some of the so-called insurrects showing up.
This men worked very hard about it.
All day long they've been in this same situation.
The priest has done a commendable work too.
Anyway
the so-called insurrects
are cornered.
Sooner or later, they'll fall into our hands or will come themselves to us.
I assure you the situation is completely under control.
In Havana, capital of the ever faithful island of Cuba.
There's news that seem to be quite real.
What were you talking about the Eastern Department?
-The Eastern Department? -Yes, please.
I wasn't saying anything specific, ok?
Excuse me, sir, but I didn't have the pleasure of meeting you.
-I was saying... -A pleasure to meet you.
I would love to know.
I have some land in Manzanillo but that's all.
I can't tell you nothing more.
Nothing important.
Listen, sir, could you excuse us? Our conversation is private, ok?
-But I just want to know. -But it's nothing, sir.
-We have nothing to say. -Please, don't leave, I'm asking you.
-We have nothing to say about the Eastern Department.
-Look, sir, you're bothering him, ok? He's an old man.
Please, listen.
-Leave me alone! -Please, I want to know, come here.
How could you dare to force me?
-I'm just asking you. -Stop, stop, stop.
-Please, I'm only asking. -And I insist, sir,
what could I tell you? -Look, I'm asking you
to please tell me what you think -You're disrespecting an old man.
Please, I don't want to disrespect no old man.
Don't push me. Don't you push me.
Ok, so what do you think?
-What I think about what? -What do you think?
Don't you read the news?
Yes, I do read the news. What do you want?
So then, what do you think about all that's going on?
-I know nothing, sir.
What do you think about what's going on in the Eastern Dept.?
That there's an uprising in Yara, in Manzanillo.
I don't know, the Spanish sent troops
to keep the order. -And what do you think about it?
-What do you want? Are you insane? -What do you think? Tell me.
I think it's a logical conclusion.
Many people is unhappy with the ways of the Spanish government
on the island and that's it.
But what do you think?
I think there's too many quiet people here
and too many people fighting there.
Outside Havana it's easier to rebel.
Oh, yes?
-Of course. -Why?
Why? For obvious reasons.
Don't you see the power Spain has here in the capital?
An infinity of spies, volunteers, army, troops,
constantly watching and checking. -So you think we should stand it?
-I didn't... -We should stand it, huh?
We, for instance,
have had this print for years
and censorship has never been as hard as it is now.
Well, censorhip,
yes, it's a little bit strict
but hey, we shouldn't exaggerate.
Anything that's printed now
must pass through censorship and it wasn't like that before.
It's not as bad as you're saying.
You're just afraid because we are in front of this gentleman.
Well, we don't really know him.
Look, I'm going to speak frankly.
Here, if someone brings us some book, some writing, some essay by a cuban
it goes through censorship and is never published
but if they bring some book
written by a Spanish, censorships approves it.
It's not always like that. Some Spanish writings get censored too.
Well, maybe if it's something against
the metropolis, Spain, or Queen Isabella II.
God may know, but I don't
And why are you laughing?
I am a government employee.
We, criollos, have very few opportunities here
because the best positions are for the Spanish
and are almost always designated from the peninsula.
This is a very hard situation for us
and I guess the situation for the rest of the cubans,
for the criollos, it's hard too. -You're a government employee, right?
-Yes, sir. -Then shut up.
-You should be ashamed. -Why should the gentleman shut up?
Hey, why should he shut up?
Ain't you afraid of losing your position?
Well, in Cuba
we all have always
the fear of losing the position we hold.
That's a shame.
We'll never learn to govern ourselves like this.
It's not a secret for anyone that this tax issue...
Wait, what do you think about the taxes?
That's keeping all of us Cubans stuck.
We can't live with the amounts of money we must give to the Spanish.
My partner and I had some prints in our shop
and we saw the heading on taxes and it's untenable.
Nothing that doesn't happen everywhere else, right?
Nothing that doesn't happen everywhere else.
-Contraband happens everywhere. -It sure does.
-Between the Spanish in cunspiracy. -Conspiracy.
Cunspiracy, conspiracy, whatever. I don't know what I'm saying anymore.
The contraband, the conspiracy...
There's many fabrications about that. It's all lies.
It's vox populi. It's the people's voice speaking.
What's your opinion on all this?
What do you mean? People make up stories.
Why? Who does?
The ones who talk about it. The thing is you all have subversive ideas.
-I don't make up no stories! -You have subversive ideas!
And so what if we do have subversive ideas?
We're Cubans and we can have subversive ideas if we want.
They're so arrogant they don't allow Cubans in the government.
You see no one controls the criollos. They think they rule the world.
And what do we do with that? We can't go on like this.
And now they screwed up, huh? Those in power.
Well, this must end one day, right?
That's easy to say, but what have we done? Nothing!
Maybe things will change with all that's happening.
-Maybe it will. -What do you mean maybe? It sure will!
Sure it will, gentlemen, but you don't see the deep division
between Cubans and Spanish. It's insurmountable.
Also, the Spanish power is obsolete
and whoever denies that, observes it.
Observes it no his knees. Don't shut me up!
Don't forget the Carlos Manuel movement in the east.
Of course.
We're sick of taking the insults and humiliations of the Spanish.
We could alsto talk about national integrity
with the Spanish in charge.
-We could live together. -Not in this conditions.
Not like this.
Yet I feel very differently, as Cuban.
What we must do is leave for the jungle.
Let him speak, sir! Let him speak!
-We must shake off the Spanish yoke. -Remember the Santa Fe experience.
No, we must shake off the Spanish yoke.
We can't go on like this.
They promised us improvements many times and what did we get?
-I don't know, young man. -We can't let them fool us again.
We can't even sell our products abroad.
-The volunteers! -Leave them.
With whose permission are you holding this meeting?
Donato Mármol, General of the Cuban Liberation Army and military staff.
Which are the reasons why the cubans are fighting?
Well, because
of known reasons.
-Painfully known to all. -Could you speak up, please?
I said that it's because of known reasons.
Reasons painfully known to all.
This document may tell it better than myself
Sorry, I'd like to hear it from yourself.
If we want to read the document, we can do it later.
I'd like to hear your reasons.
Ok, if that's what you want.
We're sick of the oppression,
of being ruled by force.
I think that's enough reason for anyone to rebel, isn't it?
They're saying there's a liberal revolution in Spain,
do you think that could affect the local affairs?
-How? -Well, it may foster a settlement.
No, the only possible settlement with Spain is our independence.
Besides, we all know
the instability of the Spanish governments.
Look
if we keep being part of the Spanish domains
we're subject to those constant changes
and we must accept them all, either good or bad.
Does that answer your question?
Isn't it possible to achieve what you want through pacific means?
Pacific means?
If there were any, we wouldn't be here.
We are not murderers, sir.
We don't like killing.
And, of course, we don't like having to die either.
But Spain forced us into this.
Explain your opinion in detail.
Well, explaining our history which is a little long
in time
but short in age, would be quite boring.
But I'd tell you that
since the first Spanish arrived here, we always fighted for freedom.
Because of the oppresion here, and the injustice here.
Many naive cowards believed
that behaving well and complying they could achieve social change
but it wasn't like that.
And some others who were better off economically
tried in the courts and with the concession of friends
to achieve that justice
but only found deception.
We want to correct that deception.
We want our freedom
by any mean
even with blood.
We could name many other reasons.
At any time
we can be deported, incarcerated
or worst
shot by a military commission
that works perpetually
and which of course doesn't exist in Spain.
So you don't want to just be treated like any other Spanish.
-Like if we're just another province? -Exactly.
We're Cubans. Never.
The one who expects only that is nothing but a traitor.
We aim to govern ourselves without Spanish tutelage.
We're cubans and we can make our own laws
and establish the equality that Spain could never establish.
No, also
we're too separated from Spain. Separated in distance and interests.
Our revolution can't have the same interests that the Cadiz revolution.
We don't want to be a Spanish province.
We fight to become sovereign and independent.
What would happen to the Spanish population in case of a rebel victory?
We must tell apart two kinds of Spanish.
Those who live in Cuba and accept the new order of things
and those who don't live in Cuba but thrive in it
collaborating with the colonial regime.
The former would be treated just like any other Cuban.
We aren't fighting against Spanish people,
we're fighting against the Spanish government,
and any Spanish who agrees with this war would be considered Cuban.
There's one here listening. Right, Mario?
I was born in Spain
but I've settled here and I feel like a Cuban.
-My cause is the same as theirs. -Why?
Because of a sense of justice.
Every good Spanish has fought for freedom in Spain.
Why shouldn't we do it here?
Tell me.
I'd like to know your opinion on that.
My opinion on that?
Well, I think there are many like him who are on our side.
A machete had to be
what broke out of the blue
and a hundred machetes, a hundred wings flied to where
we could soon know
about the achieved glories
and like spilled gunpowder
that doesn't stop its fire
thousands of new machetes fight for their beloved land.
Colonel Quiroz, could you tell us about your plans?
Clear up the way to Bayamo,
establish contact with the force of Colonel Campillo,
observing the movement in the area,
calm it down
and leave some forces in the rearguard
for its peace.
Have you been in any encounter?
No, not exactly. We stayed in the rear.
And what's your opinion about what's going on?
I don't get your question.
I mean what you think about what's going on.
Do you believe the rebels may succeed?
-No. No, sir. -And these civilians coming with you?
They're inhabitants of the area who wanted to come with us
to avoid the reprisal of the bandits.
He brought me by force. I come as prisoner.
Well, we heard there were thousands of rebels.
Actually we were attacked only by small groups
with sticks and stones.
We also resisted another group in a place near here called
-I can't remember. -Venta de Casanova.
Venta de Casanova, but it was otherwise uneventful.
If the rebel groups are so small
why such a display of power?
Well, first of all I've told you that we'd heard
there were thousands of rebels waiting for us.
Despite that we've brought just 700 men.
We can't allow any action
that threatens the national integrity.
We can't allow a gang of outlaws,
godless, lawless bandits
disturb our peace at this time when we need it so much.
-What are you saying? -I'm brought by force, as a prisoner.
-Why? -Because we took to the streets
to protest their injustice and their abuse.
You can't talk to the prisoners.
You said they came by their will.
Most of them do, some of them...
To make them abuse me but they were Cubans so they did nothing to me.
-Shut your mouth! -They abused me, hit me, vexed me.
Why do you think they brought you?
To protect themselves from the Cubans.
What happens if the Cubans come?
They may attack me, they abuse me.
It doesn't matter.
Murderer! Murderer!
Take her out! Take her out!
Free Cuba!
Go away. Take her out!
Viva Cuba!
Colonel Quiroz, what do you think of the reactions in Bayamo?
That we were very well received by the people.
My men behaved like worthy representatives of the Spanish Army.
I'm sure there will be no complaints.
Also, the people understood that we come in peace, as friends
guardians of the order, their lives and their haciendas
and to reestablish the order that has been disturbed.
When the Spanish arrived
they started looting the houses.
They took our men.
We were left with nothing.
They did the same to everyone?
-Only to Cubans. -Are you sure?
I've only seen them attack Cubans.
Four women were walking down the street,
one of them with her hair down and red and blue ribbons on it.
They met some Spanish.
They asked them why they were dressed like that and they said
they're Cubans and wanted to diff- erentiate themselves from the Spanish.
Did they attack you? Did they make you leave the town?
Did they say or do anything to you?
What happened?
Have they took any family?
Yes, they took the Lapinel and Caldaz families.
And what did they do to them?
We found two hanged.
They did something to you? What else happened?
Please shut up!
Leave her alone.
Calm down, calm down.
Please shut up.
We've been running away for many days. Leave us alone.
The General Captain and Sheriff of the ever faithful island of Cuba
Don Francisco de Lersundi.
It's all nothing but tomfoolery.
A deplorable tomfoolery
which unfortunately
has made some naive fools believe in some absurd illusions.
Look.
Except for the province of Manzanillo
everywhere else remains perfectly quiet.
Here's precisely
the last reports.
-Do you want to see them? -No, it's not necessary.
Soon will end this ridiculous and criminal attempt
that has dragged by force some civilians
who have begun to surrender themselves.
It was to be expected.
However, your decree on the 20, Excellency,
puts under military jurisdiction everyone, including civilians,
who engage in crimes of treason, rebellion and sedition,
isn't that too strong a measure given the situation you described?
Look,
it's easy to understand.
We can't allow the public order to be upset.
Even if it's just a cognate of rebellion
it's our duty to guarantee peace and quiet
to the honest people of the Eastern Department.
And of course
the punishment will be as exemplary as the circumstances require.
Excellency, don't you think the rebellion is expanding?
You don't know the cuban people.
They are wimpy, indolent,
inefficient,
they lack any fighting attitude.
They're definitely, let me tell you,
useless for soldiering
and above all, I'd say
they lack the mettle needed to confront the Spanish power.
Nonetheless, Your Excellency, those who took Bayamo are Cubas.
That's the result of the ineptitude of some
who weren't up to their positions and duties.
But, allow me to say
that the two columns marching to Bayamo at this moment
will pulverize those outlaws in a matter of hours.
I've plenty of confidence in the colonels Quiroz and Campillo.
Before the forces of a regular army
those rebels have nothing to do.
Freedom is our daily bread
and the longing for it
became a machete to love it.
Stampedes are provoked
rocks are thrown, we win and we lose
but things get done and we keep doing
for Cuba, for us, for life.
For life.
War bulletin.
General lieutenancy of the Cuban Liberation Army
Yesterday an encounter ocurred between our troops
commanded by Gen. Modesto Diaz
and the Spanish column which, commanded by Colonel Campillo,
marched on from Manzanillo to attack Bayamo.
The encounter took place at the banks of Babatuaba creek.
Victory crowned the heroic efforts of our men
when after a few skirmishes
the enemy trumpet called for retreat.
Afterwards, the Spanish column took
the way back to Manzanillo.
The enemy in his shameful escape,
whether to hide its casualties
or to infect the population and make them declare an epidemic
to the detriment of us and the whole neighborhood,
threw many corpses on the wells and toilets of the houses
with no regard for humanity or christianism,
hygiene or public health,
acting like savages
and not like men who received baptism and the holy oil of christianity.
In order to shamelessly defend themselves, the Spanish
took pacific citizens as hostages
some women among them.
This victory shatters all Spanish hope of attacking Bayamo
since of the two columns that loomed over the city
remains only the one stationed at Baire
commanded by Col. Quiroz.
With this victory joining
the fresh laurels won at Bayamo and other points in the region
wane the enemy hopes of beating the revolution
which showing its strength
will throw out of our nation the despised colonial power.
Bayamo between October 20 and 24.
The city held by the Cubans
tries to organize itself as the center of the rebel territory.
Do you think the Cubans will win this war?
Well,
I don't know much about these things but you could imagine
I'm sure they will.
What'll happen when we have to fight with the Spanish troops?
It's a regular army. Organized, disciplined.
With experienced officers.
There's even recent wars in Spain.
What'll happen there? We have very few weapons.
We will get the victory
through discipline, organization and the leaders who emerge in the fight.
For me, just as for any other Cuban,
it's very exciting and truly passionate
to be into something so dignified and pure as the revolution.
Is there anything specific why you think you'll win the war?
Mostly because of their courage
and their let's call it passion.
It's not enough to have the stablished power, we already have it.
We have a governor, a mayor, even aldermen
but we need to become military because we've never been military.
And we have to do it now.
Once we're military, only then will be decisive
the passion and the ideals for the triumph of our cause.
I think victories must be achieved on the front, not with tricks.
But did they fight at Babatuaba or didn't they? Did they fight?
I think there was no fighting at Babatuaba
because we can't always depend on chance and luck.
You think we fought at Babatuaba?
I do think it was a fight.
No, there was no confrontation. We tricked the Spanish.
It's different.
We met there with a Spanish troop
that outnumbered us. We were about 500 people.
Yes, more or less 500, but no one had any weapon
so the Gen. Modesto Diaz
gave us rods and sticks to make the Spanish
think we had weapons.
Then we passed in front of them,
at a certain distance, of course, so they can't see much.
In short, the Spanish run away,
We won just like we won here.
I think they should fight like armies fight,
face to face and warring the right way.
But it's all fair in war.
I guess many of this new officers don't even know what war is.
I don't know why they call them officers.
They've never had anything to do with the military.
It seems like there was a degree raffle.
It bothers some people
that there is foreign officers in our army,
but if we don't have enough experienced people here in cuba
willing to fight for independence
we must look for them anywhere.
We'll look for officers wherever they are.
In short, what we Cubans need to win this heroic struggle
that we're carrying out against the spanish, is this:
lots of rifles, and if we lack rifles,
then we'll use stones, sticks, machetes.
Do you think machetes can be used to fight?
Well, I don't know.
I think so. Some duel with it.
The day of the storming of Bayamo, a few blocks away from here
we fought with machetes against the lancers of Cmdr. Guajardo
and Guajardo almost got his head ripped off by a machete.
Do you think machetes can be used to fight?
It's the only thing we have. We have nothing else.
The machete.
Machete, facón, timbo,
mount knife or ciega,
mocha, calabozo.
It's a heavy and usually rect sword
with a horn handle and no crossguard.
With a thin edge on one side that curvs towards a pointed tip.
The hard back of the blade is quadrangular and rect.
Cubans use the machete so much that they do it with elegance and mastery.
The skill the natives have in handling this tool
comes from the fact
that since young they're using it and watching others use it.
The best machete blow is the one thrown upwards
trimming the spiking plants,
knocking down the tense, extended branches.
It's such a rough regular job
it develops an amazing muscular strenght
and a certain skill striking with the sword
quickly upward.
To make its use easier, the machete is always kept sharp as a razor
trying that it's able to crack and slit with a quick and deep cut
as a light knife.
Anatomy of a leader.
Well, what are you doing?
We're going to Baire, my friend. The Spanish are in Baire.
We'll go there and drive'em out.
-How many men do the Spanish have? -I don't know.
-Are they men from Baire? -I don't know.
They're coming from the Spanish settlement in Santiago.
They want to take Bayamo but we won't let them.
Approximately, how far is Baire?
About three leagues.
How long does it take to travel that far?
Six or seven hours.
When would we arrive?
About dawn, I guess.
Well, he must have some experience.
As I said, he was in the army in his country
and as far as I know
there was quite some fighting there.
That was when the poet José Joaquín Palma
went around Bayamo recruiting people
and then this man showed up.
He had a terrible urge for fighting,
so he asked to be allowed to enter the force.
He's not Cuban, he's Dominican
but he's been living in Cuba for years.
He was part of the Spanish Army reserve back in his country.
-And what happened? -I don't know.
Apparently he had some trouble with someone and quit
and then came here.
Well, they say he quit his country's army
because of the Spanish annexation of Santo Domingo.
I'd prefer that the one governing us, ruling upon us
be a Cuban, not a foreigner.
Why? You don't trust him?
No, it's not distrust.
Who knows if this man wouldn't someday have the idea
of, you know, changing sides? -I don't think so.
Because he's a man that wouldn't had left his house
to come here
to fight and
I'm sure that
well, that he's a loyal man because I've seen it.
I think this is all for a deceit. We were told to saddle the horses.
It seems to me like we'll trick them.
The idea didn't come from Gen. Marmol, I've been told,
but from a Dominican colonel.
I think he's called Gómez.
He's about 30.
Sort of tall.
Black haired.
He has
hawk eyes and a hawk face
and rides a big horse.
He has a estate by El Dátil
and there he works farming by himself.
Palma made him a sargeant and sent him with Céspedes.
Céspedes in turn sent him here with Donato Mármol
with a letter and the colonel degree.
They say at Santo Domingo
they fight at combats with the machete
so I think he must have some experience at that.
When Donato Mármol read the letter
he said "bosses abound already".
Thanks to his father-in-law, Tońito Milanés...
Tell me.
-Come here! -What's the matter? Any problem?
No.
Sorry.
Where was I?
The letter from Tońito Milanés. You were talking about Tońito Milanés.
Oh, yes, right, his father-in-law Tońito Milanés
told him that we actually had no idea about war.
And that's true
and Gómez did have experience, like I told you before.
Hey, what about the four or five men you called?
Oh, right.
-Let's go! Five men! -Sorry.
So Mármol told him to hold back the Spanish column.
Oh yes, he told him
to hold back the Spanish column coming to Bayamo
and also told him
to stay at the vanguard and offered him 200 of his best men.
Well, he took only 40 men
who were mostly acquaintances of him.
Lazo Baque, the Viera brothers.
Look, there he goes.
To kill or be killed,
so goes this soldier of life.
For weapon, carries a machete.
For time, a farewell.
They're forty men with a cutting edge,
forty denied palms.
They're four hundred reasons to kill the enemy.
They're four thousand machetes
cutting the air and the flesh.
They're the voice against silence, truths against lies.
Truths against lies.
October 25, 1868
The rebels prepare an ambush decisive for the defense of Bayamo.
The forces of Gen. Donato Mármol
stand in the place known as Venta del Pino
about a mile from Baire.
The Col. Máximo Gómez and his people
stand between both points.
Only remains to drive the Spanish troops of Quiroz out of Baire.
Like bait on a trap
Mármol makes himself noticed.
Lets them see him.
October 25, 1868
During the late hours of the morning
the first charge of the machete will take place.
To the machete!
When we wandered
lonely in a time
with no present.
When even the tree refused to share
its scent seconded by ancient whispers.
When the creek, far away, among shadows
turned into sadness
to let the enemy die of thirst.
When we wandered
lonely in a time with no present.
We had to rescue the ages of life.
Then we had to fight on the machete's edge.
Then we had to kill on the machete's edge.
Win a thousand battles on the machete's edge
which we are delivering today.