Everything about Escopeteros totally explained
Escopeteros in its original usage means those armed with a
smoothbore long
barrel firearm, sometimes a
trabuco or
blunderbuss, and has been used in this general context in histories of
Spain and
Latin America (External Link
). It has been used to describe a
pitcher in
baseball for example
(External Link), or a sniping
journalist (External Link). It has also been used in the context of fighting to until victory "El credo del escopetero"
(External Link)
1950s context
During the
Cuban revolution, this term was applied to the essential scouts and pickets from the
Sierra Maestra and other mountain ranges to the plains (Morán Arce, 1980). The "escopeteros," were responsible for semi-continuously holding terrain against smaller sized Batista patrols
(External Link). The escopeteros provided first alerts, communications, protected supply routes, provided essential intelligence and often captured weapons which were sent up to the mainline
Castro forces in the high mountains.
Raúl Castro's mission to open a second front was in reality a mission to control an area already in possession of independent (“por la libre”) escopeteros (Álvarez Batista,1983).
It can be argued that Ernesto Guevara's overseas adventures failed at least in part because of the lack of equivalent escopetero support. In the series of articles written by the staff of Escambray (circa 1988 to 2007, Che entre nosotros. Supplement to Escambray)
(External Link) the critical role of escopeteros is repeatedly mentioned. Yet the Argentine guerrilla leader never appears to have planned the use of these essential, if poorly armed auxiliaries, in his operations overseas.
1960s context
A number of escopeteros joined the opposition to Fidel Castro in the
War Against the Bandits (Encinosa, l989)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Escopeteros'.
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