Boca de Samá remembers the terrorism that shattered its peace
- Written by Redacción ¡ahora!
- Published in Holguin
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Photo: Juan Pablo Carreras
The village of Boca de Samá, in the coastal municipality of Banes, Holguín, today recalls the attack that disrupted its peace 55 years ago. This small community of fishermen and farmers was the victim, on October 12, 1971, of an armed attack carried out by counterrevolutionary elements from Florida and financed by the United States government.
That night, two pirate boats entered through the channel near Guardalavaca beach and surprised the residents while they were resting. From a mother boat, the attackers opened fire with machine guns, spreading panic throughout the village.
The gunfire killed two defenders of the border post: Lidio Rivaflecha Galán, a combatant from the Ministry of the Interior, and Ramón Siam Portelles, a militiaman. Both faced the invaders under unequal conditions, armed only with their regulation weapons, and lost their lives fulfilling their duty to protect the country’s sovereignty.
Carlos Escalante Gómez, then head of the Border Guard post and known as “El Chino,” was hit by eight bullets and came close to death. He survived after several surgical procedures, although his recovery remained at risk for a long time.
The attack also seriously wounded farmer Jesús Igarza Osorio and sisters Ángela and Nancy Pavón Pavón, aged 13 and 15. Nancy suffered multiple amputations due to shrapnel and lost her dream of wearing high-heeled shoes, something she was never able to do.
The tragedy also left a deep mark on Ramón Siam’s family. His daughter Yudirka was only seven months old when he died, so she has no direct memories of her father. Through relatives and neighbors, she learned about his cheerful, kind, and supportive character, as well as his work as a literacy teacher before joining the Border Guard Troops.
Fifty-five years after the attack, Boca de Samá remains a symbol against state terrorism. Its collective memory remembers the tragedy, but also the dignity and resilience of its inhabitants, who were not broken by violence. (Source: ACN)
