That small house welcomed young 16 year old Manuel Ascunce Domenech who
joined the Conrado Benitez Brigade carrying out the leader of the
Revolution Fidel Castro’s call in turning Cuba into the first territory
free of illiteracy in the Americas.

The Literacy Campaign which was successfully carried out throughout the
island taught people in the countryside and city to read and write,
indispensable foundation on which social justice was developed.

Several members of the counterrevolutionary groups led by Julio Emilio
Carretero, including Pedro Gonzalez and Braulio Amador Quesada, arrived in
the region on Sunday, November 26th, 1961, and stirred up the region with
bad intentions.

They were searching for victims in order to get the approval of the CIA,
which was financing and supporting dozens of torturers and gangs of the
former Batista tyranny in the central mountainous region and other parts
of the island.

That night the assassins entered the house and attacked Pedro who,
defenseless, was brutally beaten in front of his wife and children.

One of the assassins asked where the teacher was and Pedro Lantigua’s wife
responded by saying that he was not at home.

But Manuel jumped from the dark and responded: “I am the teacher!” They
were simple and noble words that sentenced him to death.

One of the criminals responded, “So you are the communist teacher?” while
beating the 16 year old and dragging him alongside Pedro.

On that November 26th, the assassins at the service of the U.S. government
ended the life of the young teacher ripping him of his adolescence years.

Both Manuel and Pedro joined the list of the painful figure of 549
assassinations carried out by the counterrevolutionary groups in the Cuban
countryside.

With the disgusting crime, the enemies of Cuba aimed at stopping the
uncontrollable success of the Literary Campaign which ended on December
22nd, 1961.

Manuel Ascunce Domenech multiplied among other young people that became
teachers and joined the Pedagogic Contingent that carried out the work of
teaching the population how to read and write in compliance with the
Revolution’s social justice.