Camilo Cienfuegos was one of the principle revolutionary leaders who, along with Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, helped to bring freedom and socialism to Cuba.
Born in 1932, Camilo was dedicated to the defeat of the American imperialist stooge regime of Fulgencio Batista and led one of the revolutionary columns that helped liberate the country.
After the triumph of the revolution he became Chief of Staff of the Cuban Army and was instrumental in preventing any immediate resurgence by counter-revolutionary forces.
Famously, during one of Castro's speeches in 1959 Fidel turned to Camilo and asked "Am I doing all right, Camilo?" and Camilo responded "You're doing fine, Fidel". "Vas bien, Fidel" become a Cuban revolutionary slogan and is now emblazoned on a 2009 monument to him in the Plaza de la Revolución.
On October 28, 1959 Camilo Cienfuegos and the plane he was flying in went missing as he was returning from Camagüey to Havana. His body was never found.
Along with the 2009 monument Cienfuegos is remembered across Cuba in many ways from schools, to awards, to his appearance on Cuban currency.
Every year on the anniversary of his death thousands of flowers are left on the banks of the Bayamo River, among other places, in his honour.
“There are many Camilos among our people!” - Fidel Castro
"He had the natural intelligence of the people, who had chosen him out of thousands for a privileged position on account of the audacity of his blows, his tenacity, his intelligence, and unequalled devotion." - Che
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