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Reports of a possible military uprising began to reach Batista in early October . Intelligence indicated that segments of the military, including some of the newly promoted officers, were disgruntled with Batista and the course events had taken since September . Some felt the enlisted men had made a mistake in pushing out their former commanders (even though none had gone to the defense of the officers at the Hotel Nacional), while others felt continuing support of the Grau government was undermining military stability . And of course, there were always those passed over for promotion. On the civilian side, there was an element of the ABC revolutionary society, led by Carlos Saladrigas,1 eager to strike against the government, although principal ABC leader Joaquín Martínez Sáenz was in exile and opposed to an attack.2 Unlike the previous high command that failed to heed reports of military conspiracies, Batista took the news very seriously. He fostered the development of an intelligence network in the military and paid careful attention to the information provided at all levels. Regular reports of suspicious movements and meetings among the officers and enlisted men made organizing a coup against Batista and Grau a formidable task. The conspirators later acknowledged that they frequently rescheduled meetings because they knew they were being monitored. Batista’s intelligence network hampered efforts by the conspirators to disseminate vital information about the planned uprising.3 Besides his own spy network, Batista could rely on regular newspaper reports and frequent rumors to keep him informed about the status of his enemies. Weeks in advance of the uprising, key details leaked to the public and press. Ruby Hart Phillips wrote in her diary on October : “We are          8 an end to Revolution 07Chap7.qxd 2/26/2006 7:29 AM Page 110 going to have a new revolution. While our information is not definite as yet it seems that the new revolt is to be headed by certain former officers of the Cuban army (those out of jail) and ABC members.” Two weeks later, on November , she wrote even more specifically in her diary of the forthcoming uprising. “More information about the new revolution. There will be airplanes raining bombs, fighting in the streets, etc., etc.”4 The key question for Batista and Grau was: When? The conspirators included officers and soldiers in the Aviation Corps, in the Presidential Guards, and at military installations throughout Havana, including the San Ambrosio barracks and arms supply depot and the Dragones military installation. There were conspirators within Camp Columbia itself. The conspirators included former Major Ciro Leonard, previously in charge of San Ambrosio and the supreme commander of the operation; Lieutenant José Barrientos of the Aviation Corps; Second Lieutenant Pedro Gener Núñez of the Presidential Guards; and perpetual revolutionary and self-designated Colonel Juan Blas Hernández, a guerrilla fighter against Machado, who only a few weeks earlier pledged his support to the Grau government . Some commanders, while refraining from an active role in the uprising, agreed to abstain from the fighting until it became clear which side would win. The information available indicates that a conspiracy against Batista and Grau had been in the works since the middle of September. Originally the uprising was to be a purely military affair, but the Saladrigas wing of the ABC learned of the plot and asked to be included. Some of the military men objected to participation by civilians, fearing that their lack of discipline and a scarcity of arms would hinder the operation. To overcome their doubts, Saladrigas promised to contribute a large cache of weapons from the ABC’s stockpile and guaranteed that only armed supporters would be permitted to take part in the operation.5 The plan of attack was ingenious. The target day was November , a day when Batista was expected to be traveling outside Havana. It was to begin in the early morning hours with an aerial attack and bombardment of Camp Columbia, coupled with an uprising within the camp itself. With the government forces dazed and confused, the rebels were to seize military installations and police stations in and around Havana and march on Columbia. The imprisoned officers, defeated at the Hotel Nacional, were to be freed and assume command of the military forces. The conspirators hoped for a quick and decisive victory. In the end, it was a spy, Corporal Ángel C. Fajardo, who gave away the conspiracy ’s...

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