If there’s any place in Cuba with significant importance in the country’s recent history, it has to be the Moncada Barracks. The Moncada Barracks were an important military stronghold for the Batista government in Santiago de Cuba and, a historic site which marked the start of the Cuban revolution. On July 26, 1953, the Moncada Barracks became the site of the now infamous armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro and his now president, brother, Raul Castro. This historic attack is now accepted as being the very start of the Cuban Revolution. Despite the ultimate failure of the coup at Moncada Barracks it still remains as the first stone laid in the short progress of Fidel and his troops to overthrowing Batista and ultimately taking control of the nation. While some of the exhibits are a quite gruesome, especially those pertaining to alleged torture of the revolutionaries, it still seems to accurately reflect what happened. Still featuring the original bullet holes and shell marker kings on the exterior walls, the building looks and feels like the attack took place last week and not over 50 years ago.

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