On January 1st, 1959, several ariguanabenses headed by Ubaldo García Morales, known as Vallín, were waiting for a guide to lead them to the Sierra de los Órganos to join the Pinar del Río Front. When they know about the escape of the tyrant Fulgencio Batista, they immediately return to San Antonio de los Baños.
January 1st was unforgettable for those who lived it, not only in San Antonio de los Baños, but in the country. As soon as the ariguanabenses knew about Batista's escape, they went out to celebrate the triumph of the Revolution. The police and the soldiers gathered in the Rural Guard Barracks. The July 26 militias, led by Vallín, collected weapons in the nearby towns of Vereda, Ceiba and Alquízar to confront the soldiers who had not yet surrendered. To do this, they establish their barracks at the local Catholic Youth, next to the church, and surround the Rural Guard Barracks.
From the General Command, in the Sierra Maestra, Fidel called the people of Cuba and the workers to the revolutionary strike for January 2, thus supporting the revolutionary struggle and guaranteeing the total victory of the Revolution. The ariguanabense people joined the call to consolidate the final triumph. From the Ayuntamiento several speakers called the General Strike under the slogan: Revolution Yes, military coup No! From the triumph of the Revolution, a new stage would begin in our municipality, as in the rest of the country; true national independence had been achieved.
