"Rural Police" Identification.

[CtahhR]

Here is a really great piece of Cuban paperwork.

The Rural Police existed from March 1959 until 26th October 1959. Their purpose was to ensure the revolution spread through the countryside of Cuba.

This piece is a great example, not only in surviving but also in the fact it was issued by the person carrying it. José Botello Ávila was a leader during the revolutionary war.

"By a letter dated 11th April 1958 Fidel (Castro) gave (Orlando) Lara orders to send a group of guerrillas to Camagüey to extend the war there. On 29th April, Lara sent the first lieutenant José Botello Ávila in front of 60 fighters to Camagüey."

"In the prosecution of agents of Military Intelligence, Vallina René Mendoza went to the city of Cienfuegos and participated in the formation of a task force and sabotage in a rural area. He participated in the popular uprising of 5th September 1957 in Cienfuegos. Insurgents continued to strike until 9th April 1958. Until the harassment of the dictatorship's henchmen forced him back to Camagüey. On 12th August 1958 he joined the group of José Botello Ávila in the Sierra de Ávila Cubitas. At the conclusion of the summer offensive, with the defeat of the Army of tyranny, the guerrillas are ordered to march to the Sierra Maestra."

From September 1958.

"With great difficulty the troops advanced. The encampment in Las 1009 (Río Cauto) heard a shot. Vallina René Mendoza asks:

- "What happened?"

I saw Bruno Zamora Juan Rodríguez, very pale. In his hand he holds, still smoking, a German gun.

Juan Bruno had used the gun as a rake and seconds later came the result of his current reckless: a bullet pierced his left arm as Arturo Maura Mestril at the same instant was going to rebel commanders.

The accident caused a stir in the troops, because you have to judge Bruno. Arturo Maura himself asks Captain José Avila Botello not to be too drastic on the boy:

- I believe that the fact is not so grave as to expel Brunito troop, as requested by Jaime Vega Saturnino. The shooting was accidental. That's certain.

Bruno's responsibility was assessed. Captain José Avila Botello recognised that the act constituted negligence, but defended the right of the combatant to continue in the unit."

"On 29th November 1958, in the early hours rebel army troops entered into the town of Manati, under Captain James Ercilla José Torres, Manolo Vazquez and Juan Giraldo in combination with the forces of Captain José Avila Botello, all members of the 12th Simón Bolívar column, preparing an action plan to launch an attack to oppress the barracks of tyranny in order to concentrate the power of the army and guards centre in the area at dawn, with the objective of extracting a compressor to cut communication between Camagüey East and the centre, to prevent the arrival of reinforcements of tyranny from the eastern part of the island, a goal that was achieved. While failing to surprise, the rebels succeed in taking the town for four days."

[CtahhR]

It turns out this chap was considerably more influential than originally realised. His nickname is "Pepe" which has helped open up his story. He is known as "Captain Pepe Botello" and is well known as a guerilla leader that saw a considerable amount of action.


He led a successful campaign to create the Mausoleum at Pino Tres where his men were ambushed on 27th September 1958 and 33 were killed.

On 31st March 1958 his troops participated in the assault on Mir after encamping at Monte Alto. He also created an camp at Coco Riopedre for his column.
He was fighting at Santa Lucia De Cuba on 25th August 1958.

On 27th October 1958, Captain José Botello received a letter where the Commander in Chief told him that ... "He ordered the dismissal of Captain Jaime Vega to be submitted to court-martial for his irresponsibility by the slaughter of Macareño that occurred due to lack of protection and for failing previous instruction that was given to march on foot. "The trial resulted in the degradation of Jaime Vega to soldier.

He was also in fierce fighting on 28th October 1958 by the town of Cascorro. In December 1958 his forces were occupying Sibanicú.

Botello along with Vicente González stole dynamite from the quarry at Cañada Honda to blow up the main bridge in the centre of Jobabito.

He was leading forces in the area of Montes Grandes in 1956.

The earliest revolutionary activity I have found of his is capturing the city of Las Tunas on 4th June 1952. This is 13 months 22 days before the assault on Moncada Barracks

After the rebels came to power and he had finished in the Rural Police he became Head of the Bureau Of Agricultural Development in Camagüey.

On 9th April 1999 he revealed a plaque at the "Asociación De Combatientes De La Revolución Cubana".

I am sure there is a lot more of information out there that will slowly present itself.

[CtahhR]

A new article on him was published last week;

"Camagüey.- José Botello Ávila, nacido el 19 de agosto de 1928, provenía de una familia de cinco hermanos, que al igual que él se incorporaron al Ejército Rebelde.

Luego baja al llano, en el Cauto del paso, y está bajo las órdenes del capitán Orlando Lara Batista. Fidel, ordena a Lara extender la guerra hasta la zona de Camagüey, y este envió al Primer Teniente José Botello, al mando de 30 hombres, el 7 de mayo de 1958, para Santa Lucía, en Nuevitas.

Botello marcha a operar a la zona de Sierra de Cubitas, con 25 hombres, por orientación de la comandancia general. El campamento fue atacado por una delación que sufrieron, durante 10 días buscó infructuosamente a sus hombres; entonces se le sumaron vecinos de Cubitas, como Juan Miranda, quien fuera después capitán, y desde Camagüey llegaron cinco jóvenes, entre ellos René Vallina Mendoza.

En ese momento recibe la orden de subir a la Sierra Maestra, para donde parte con 40 rebeldes, estando en el Cauto se entera de que la columna 11 Cándido González, bajo el mando del capitán Jaime Vega Satornino, iba para Camagüey, y se reúne con él y con el también capitán Roberto Cruz Zamora, en el encuentro le informan que tenían órdenes de que se incorporara con sus hombres a la columna.

Llegan a Camagüey el 22 de septiembre de 1958, ya sin el factor sorpresa por el paso anterior por el lugar de las columnas invasoras. El 27, Vega ordena la marcha en camiones, contradiciendo así las órdenes de Fidel de avanzar a pie. Por este motivo Botello se le enfrenta y ante la provocación de este "él que tenga miedo se puede quedar", lo invita a montarse juntos en el primer camión.

Luego de la emboscada en Pino 3, Santa Cruz del Sur, y la masacre de la Caobita, se produce otra discusión entre los dos combatientes sobre la decisión a tomar. El jefe de la columna, presionado por lo sucedido, aprobó que Botello marchase para la zona de Santa Lucía con 32 hombres para reorganizar la fuerza.

Más tarde, por petición de las fuerzas del IV frente Simón Bólivar, participa Botello, con hombres a su mando en Manatí, al ataque del cuartel, que resultó infructuoso, aunque el puente de hierro fue destruido.

Al triunfar la Revolución fue primer secretario del Partido en el municipio de Ciego de Ávila, director provincial del Ministerio de Comunicaciones, Delegado Provincial del Ministerio de Materiales de la Construcción. Murió el 28 de octubre de 1988.

Fue sin dudas José Botello, un fiel soldado de la Revolución, y el jefe guerrillero de más permanencia en territorio camagüeyano."

It would seem that the plaque opened in 1999 was dedicated to him not by him.

[pride]

Beutiful! well find