That "little light that goes on for America": Fidel Castro in Uruguay, May 1959

Abstract

The article describes Fidel Castro's first visit to Uruguay in early May 1959. At that time, the young revolutionary arrived in South America to participate in an international instance in Buenos Aires. It was as part of that tour that had also included before his visit to the United States, Canada, a brief passage through Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil and Argentina, that Castro decided his frantic passage through Uruguay. During the 44 hours that he stayed in the country his schedule was intense: impromptu conference when getting off the plane; Meeting with the Uruguayan chancellor and in the National Council of Government; Television appearance; Visits to sites affected by floods; Speaker at a large public event; And confidential meeting with a student delegation at the hotel where he / she was staying. Nourished from diverse sources - press, diplomatic information from several repositories, etc. -, the article will explore especially those consulted in dependencies of the Intelligence and Liaison Service of the Uruguayan Police, which closely followed what is related to the visit of the Caribbean revolutionary.