Rebel Commander Francisco "Paco" Cabrera Pupo died accidentally on January 27, 1959, at the age of 34, while serving as head of the security detail for Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, whom he was accompanying on his first visit to Venezuela after the triumph of the Revolution.
As he was about to board the plane at Maiquetía Airport, which would bring the Cuban delegation headed by Fidel back to Cuba, Cabrera returned to the car to retrieve something he had left behind and failed to notice that he had to walk under the propellers of one of the plane's running engines. His death was instantaneous, and the delegation was devastated.
His body was taken to Puerto Padre, where the town, deeply saddened by the loss, paid well-deserved tribute to one of its finest sons and accompanied his remains to the local cemetery. In what is now Paco Cabrera Park in that eastern city, across from La Loma Fort, stands a bust of Paco Cabrera, the only rebel commander born in the area.
He was among the first to join the 26th of July Movement in Puerto Padre, and on April 1, 1957, he joined the Rebel Army.In Santiago de Cuba, under the command of Frank País, he stayed in a guesthouse until the end of March, when he went up to the Sierra Maestra mountains accompanied by his friend Alcibíades Bermúdez. He was assigned to Commander Ernesto "Che" Guevara's column, under the command of Ciro Redondo. There he carried out several missions and rose through the ranks due to his merit, bravery, and loyalty.
He distinguished himself on July 31 and August 1 in the battle of Bueycito. On August 30, he fought at El Hombrito, also under the command of Che Guevara. When the platoon leader fell, Paco assumed command, and Ernesto "Che" Guevara promoted him to the rank of lieutenant. After the Battle of Veguitas, in the Manzanillo area, he attained the rank of captain, and Fidel Castro appointed him head of the Frank País platoon, which distinguished itself in the second Battle of Pino del Agua by halting the advance of Batista's troops, numbering around a thousand soldiers.
His rebel campaign included some thirty battles, among them Baire, Bueycito, Ojo de Guisa, Charco Redondo, and Maffo. In the Battle of Maffo, at the end of December 1958, he distinguished himself, as always, for his courage in combat. He entered enemy positions to demand their surrender. He became the hero of the battle, and Fidel promoted him to commander.
Commanders Raúl Castro and Juan Almeida then entrusted Fidel's security to him, appointing him head of his escort due to his bravery, loyalty, discipline, affable manner, and responsibility in every task assigned—traits that also earned him the admiration of his comrades in arms.
Following the triumph of the rebel forces on January 1, 1959, Paco Cabrera continued his mission as head of the Commander-in-Chief's escort. These were days of feverish activity due to the multitude of problems generated by the new situation and Fidel's constant movement. He held this important position until his accidental death in Caracas.
Paco Cabrera was born on December 4, 1924, in a humble hut on the La Aguadita farm, in Velazco 29, a few kilometers from the town of Vázquez, in the municipality of Puerto Padre. He was the son of Esteban Cabrera and María Pupo, both agricultural laborers. He only completed the fourth grade due to the need to work to help support his family.
Two days after the attack on the Moncada Barracks, he was among those who gathered in La Jíbara to support the revolutionary action. He was imprisoned for his Orthodox Party affiliation and the activities he participated in. Three weeks later, he was arrested in Vázquez and taken to Delicias, where he was brutally tortured along with other young revolutionaries. From that moment on, his movements were constantly monitored by the repressive forces of the dictatorship, until he rose up in the Sierra Maestra mountains.
Paco Cabrera Pupo receives the enduring homage of his people, and his name is borne by schools, sports facilities, cooperatives, and the Metal Structures Factory (METUNAS) in what is now Las Tunas province.