Efigenio Ameijeiras Delgado (21 September 1931 – 10 February 2020) was a Cuban revolutionary and military commander who participated in the uprising that brought Fidel Castro to power. He is best known for his role as one of the guerrillas of the 26th of July Movement and as a field commander during the Bay of Pigs invasion.

Early involvement and revolutionary activity

Ameijeiras joined the insurgent movement that formed around Fidel Castro in the 1950s. That movement, later named the 26th of July Movement, took its name from the failed 1953 attack on the Moncada Barracks and became the primary organization fighting the Batista regime. Like many of Castro's companions, Ameijeiras went from clandestine organizing to active guerrilla warfare in the Sierra Maestra hills and other fronts.

Role during the Bay of Pigs

During the Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961, Ameijeiras was a front-line commander. On 19 April, he led a battalion-sized force of police and militia moving toward Playa Girón (the site associated with the invasion). That column was engaged by air attacks carried out by B-26 aircraft flown by anti-Castro forces and their allies, a key moment in the confrontation that halted the invasion.

Later career and public life

After the revolutionary victory, Ameijeiras continued to serve in Cuba's military and in roles connected to internal security and public order. He remained a visible figure within Cuba's revolutionary generation and was often cited in historical accounts of the guerrilla campaign and the early years of the revolutionary government. His experience illustrates how combatants from the 1950s moved into formal state roles after 1959.

Notable events and legacy

  • Participation in the 1950s guerrilla campaigns aligned with the 26th of July Movement.
  • Command during the April 1961 Bay of Pigs events around Playa Girón.
  • Long-term involvement in Cuba's military and security institutions after the revolution.

Ameijeiras remained part of the generation of revolutionaries whose wartime activities and subsequent public service shaped Cuba's course in the second half of the 20th century. Assessments of his career typically place him among the committed veterans who transitioned into administrative and command posts within the revolutionary state.

He died on 10 February 2020 at the age of 88 from complications of sepsis. His death was noted in Cuban media and by historians as the passing of a member of the revolution's active combat cadre. For broader context on the campaigns and organizations with which he was associated, see materials on the 26th of July Movement and the Bay of Pigs invasion.