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Cuba - Political Flags

26 July Movement
Alpha 66
Brigade 2506
Comandos F-4
Communist Flags
- Directorio Revolucionario Flag (?)
- Pioneer Organizations Flags
Organizacion Autentica
Cuban Unidentified Flag
Other Anti-Castro Movements

See also:

Cuba

26 July Movement

by Ivan Sache , 22 December 1999

by Maikel Arista-Salado, 4 June 2005

In the center appears frequently a star (white or yellow) or M26, 26-7, 26J, etc...
Jaume Olle'

The flag of the 26 July Movement, as far as I can remember, didn't spell 26 de Julio but M-26-7. Perhaps there is two different versions.
Carlos M. Ramos , 7 Febuary 2000

The July 26th Movement flag appeared in several ways, two of which were most prominent: one was the red above the black with a white five point star in the centre, the other was the acronym 'M-26-7' in white letters in the middle, so that the top half overlapped the red and the bottom the black. Alternately it could appear with the '26 de Julio' in the middle or the phrase "Libertad o Muerte" (Liberty or Death) in the middle in white letters sometimes script, sometimes printed. I have seen the originals of these versions in the Cuban revolutionary museum in Havana (formerly Batista's palace).
Greg Dubecky, 18 February 2001

Eons ago, my parents' Caribbean cruise stopped in Havana. It was shortly after Castro had seized power, and realtions with the US had not been severed. They brought me back a souvenir flag/pin which was red over black with a gold "26" on it. Whether that had any official status or was just an abridged version of a larger flag (to fit in a lapel) I don't know.
Al Kirsch, 19 February 2001 and 25 May 2002

The 26th of July Movement (Movimiento 26 de Julio) constituted Fidel Castro's personal political following during the anti-Batista period, founded 26 July 1956 (?), from which the Communist Party was formed.
Source: Political Handbook of the World 1997
Jarig Bakker, 26 May 2002

Your source may not be reliable. My memory was that 26 July was the anniversary of Castro's unsuccessful assault on the Moncada Barracks. See <www.grossmont.net/mmckenzie/moncada.htm>. The year was 1953. Cuba's Communist Party is much older than that.
Al Kirsch, 26 May 2002

On 15 May 1947 Fidel Castro (while a student at the Univerity of Havana) was a founding member of the Partido Del Pueblo Cubano (later Partido Ortodoxo), devoted to political reform. In 1952 he ran for Congress on this party ticket, but Batista cancelled the elections in a bloodless coup. Castro consequently founded a revolutionary movement which mounted its first attack (by 100 men) on the Batista regime on 26 July 1953 at Moncada Army Barracks, Santiago. The attack was a dismal failure. The few survivors were tried and imprisoned, but Castro's speech in his defence was a propaganda coup as a call for revolution ("la historia me absolverá"). He was released on 15 May 1955 in a general amnesty. He and a few followers went to Mexico on 24 June 1955, and in July 1955 organised the Movimiento Revolucionario 26 de Julio (MR-26-7), named for their first revolutionary act in 1953. On 30 November 1956, 300 men (led by Frank País) wearing red and black armbands with the July 26 emblem (the first public display of this insignia?) attacked police headquarters, the Customs House and the harbour headquarters in Santiago. Two days later, 80 men led by Castro in a leaky boat ("Granma") landed in Cuba to resume to 1953 revolution. This too was a disaster, but 12 survivors fled to the Sierra Maestra and organised the first guerrilla unit of the 26 July Movement on 18 December 1956. Twenty-five months later the victorious movement entered Havana and Batista fled. The former Batista Presidential Palace is now the Museum of the Revolution and contains "Granma", and countless artifacts and insignia and flags of the 26 July Movement. To this day Castro wears a red/black lozenge of the 26 July Movement as his shoulder rank insignia for General of the Army. (Other rank insignia are Russian-style shoulder boards.)
During a few speeches in 1961, Castro began to refer to the revolution as "socialist" and Marxist-Leninist. On 3 October 1965 the new Communist Party was founded (originally established in 1925). The First Congress of the Communist Party met in 1975 and drafted a new constitution.
T.F. Mills, 30 May 2002

In Cuba there is a flag that's seen almost as the National Flag but given scant attention as it doesn't enjoy the status and rank of the national flag. I’m talking about the flag of the 26 July Movement – the organization that deposed the dictator Batista, and led by Fidel Castro (1953-1959).
The Movement adopted this name as it was on 26 July 1953 that the struggle began to evict the tyrant from the Presidency. On that day occurred the assault on regime strongholds of Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Cispedes – the former the second most important in the country. This historic event made Fidel a household name in Cuba. From that point to the final victory, the 26 July Movement become known the length and breadth of the country, its emblem stuck on doors and windows as a sign of approval. That custom stuck, and on anniversaries of the Revolution, both flags are hoisted together.
The flag is used de facto, that is, it has no official standing at law but is used informally as a sign of loyalty to the Government and a signal of approval.
In many workplaces, offices and so on, it often appears together with the national flag, in many cases of equal height and size with the national flag, notwithstanding that it has no other status than that of an historical curiosity that had its time and place in the struggle against Batista.
To note is its similarity with the flag of the Sandinistas – although with colours reversed.
Maikel Arista-Salado (translated by Tony Burton), 21 September 2004

Currently this flag is of official use, almost at the same level as thre national flag. It is also shown on the site of the Heralatin School of Cuba at <heralatin.t35.com>.
Maikel Arista-Salado (translated by Esteban Rivera), 3 June 2005

Alpha 66

from <www.alpha66.org> , located by Esteban Rivera

Anti-Cuban Guerrilla Movement "Alpha 66" official flag at <www.alpha66.org>.
Esteban Rivera, 24 May 2001

Alpha 66 is a Cuban political group who did carry guerrilla expeditions not againts Cuba but against the communist regime. None of his members consider himself anti-Cuban, actually they consider themselves very good Cubans by opposing a dictatoship.
Juan Martin, 1 April 2002

Brigade 2506

from <www.brigada2506.com> , located by Esteban Rivera

Anti Castro group "2506 Brigade" flags at <www.brigada2506.com> and <www.autentico.org>.
Esteban Rivera, 14 January 2002

Comandos F-4

by Jaume Ollé, 7 April 2004

I have some information on an opposition Cuban group settled in the United States that calls itself "Comandos F-4". The source is an article in Spanish on the "Miami Times" that appeared in 2003 witha story on the group. On the newspaper artcile as well as on the internet, the name of Rodolfo Frometa appears as the frontman of this group.
Esteban Rivera, 7 April 2004

Communist Flags

At Ebay there were few Cuban Communist flags:
1) at <cgi.ebay.com/item=1076138959> :
This flag was adquired in Cuba a while ago. It is made of fabric, the letters are sew to the flag and the center figure of Lazaro Pe-a (he was minister of CTC (the Cuban Workers Union) back in the 70's.He died long time ago.The faces around his portrait are all painted on the fabric (interesting effect) ) and it says in espanish "And the seed sprouts" on the other side the embroided flag of the CTC is beautifully embroided and still very bright. The flag measures 48"x30" and except for a yellowish tone in some parts due to age, it is in very good condition.
2) at <cgi.ebay.comitem=1076121595> :
This flag was adquired in Cuba a while ago. It is made of fabric, the letters are sew to the flag and the center figure of Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos is beautifully embroided and still very bright. The flag measures 48"x30" and has some dirt but no rips. Both sides have the same design. The curious part of this flag is the historical significance. In 1970, the cuban government took most workers to the cane fields because they projected the largest sugarcane harvest in history (10 million tons of sugar) They only got to 8.5 millions and the economy went down the toilet because the rest of the industries were niglected. Every time they reached to a new million of tons they would make these flags and distributed to the best sugarcane cutters (a BRIGADE). Now, this flag was prepared to give to the first BRIGADE to get to the 9th million. BRIGADA NONA-MILLONARIA. So this flag never had the use it was intented and probably the reason it survived until today. The XVI anniversary is based on the July 26 of 1956 attack to Cuartel Moncada and the beginning of the Revolution.
3) at <gi.ebay.com/item=1076135114> :
This flag was adquired in Cuba a while ago. It is made of fabric, the letters are sew to the flag and the center figure of Lazaro Pe-a (he was minister of CTC (the Cuban Workers Union) back in the 70's. He died long time ago) is beautifully embroided and still very bright. The flag measures 48"x30" and except for a yellowish tone in some parts due to age, it is in very good condition.
Rob Raeside, 21 Febuary 2002

Not sure if it was official but I have seen a pictures of Cuban revolutionaries that used as a upper shoulder badge a flag divided horizontaly red over black with a yellow star in the middle.
Marc