Born on May 9, 1920, in the town of Media Luna, Cuba’s Granma province, this outstanding revolutionary woman was a daring organizer of the Granma yacht’s landing in 1956 and the first woman to join the Rebel Army.

Celia played a fundamental role in the dangerous activities of the clandestine struggle, in the Rebel Army’s battles in the Sierra Maestra mountain range, and in implementing significant integration projects, social equality, and opportunities.

A sensitive woman committed to her people, Celia was Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro’s right hand until her death, especially in the arduous and silent task of compiling all writings, from letters to the most important documents, speeches, and guidelines, to preserve a legacy of inestimable historical value.

With enormous courage, capacity for work, and qualification, Sanchez Manduley succeeded in combining great works with the smallest and most delicate details, caring for orphans, the sick, and anyone else who needed help.

A few months before her 60th birthday, the heroine of the “mountain and plain”, named Celia Esther de los Desamparados, who in her life honored her name for the benefit of the Cuban people, died of cancer on January 11, 1980.

jg/iff/ro/lld