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Irish history is basically about 900 years of resisting British occupation and our hero’s are those that gave their lives attempting to achieve Irish independence. Robert Emmet, Patrick Pearse, James Connolly Kevin Barry. So when I began reading Omar Cabezas inspiring book “Fire From the Mountain” (La Montana Es algo mas que una inmensa estepa verde) it was almost as if he was filling in all the gaps of my childhood curiosity in history class as to why these men were willing to give their lives for something they believe in.
Chapter three begins with the story of how Julio Buitrago became a legend; dying alone in a house in Managua fighting an army. No doubt many “freedom fighters” through history, have died in this manner unnoticed what made this different the battle was televised to terrify the Nicaraguan people into submission to the Somoza Dictatorship but it had the opposite effect.
Omar and his University friends sitting in the University club, watch on TV as a huge number of soldiers are getting into position surrounding a house in Managua and then they. start firing “We couldn’t take our eyes off the screen; the automatic weapons were spitting out cartridges at an incredible speed. WE strained to see bits of concrete, glass, paint flying off the walls under the impact. We saw the barrel of Julio’s submachine gun at the balcony window and the smoke of his gun as he fired back. Then he was at the basement window, another window or firing from a door at first floor. Then there was silence. The soldiers advanced to the house, Then Julio suddenly appeared again shooting from a window and the soldiers turned tail and running away from the house.”
I could imaging the students cheering watching this unfold as the soldiers “who were scared shitless” fell wounded. Then a small Tank rolled up, went right up to the house and opened fire, shattering the balcony wall. “When the tank stopped firing’ you could see the officers screaming at the soldiers to advance on the house” and when they got close Julio appeared shooting and the soldiers ran again. A small plane appeared almost grazing the roof of the house, helicopters. Yet Julio was still alive firing back. ” Then suddenly something happened that moved us very much: we saw Julio come bursting through the front door, running and firing his submachine gun, and seconds later he started to double over until he fell to the ground. WE felt like crying , but at the same time we felt we had an indestructible force.
And that was how the “father” of Omars urban resistance died in combat, what drove him up into the mountains and now he was taking me to the house to share with me the legend on Julio Buitrago, left as it was after the battle. Bellow Omar reads the section from his acclaimed book detailing Julio’s last stand. Omar could be talking about William Wallace in “Braveheart” Daniel Boone in the Alamo, Che in Bolivia and all the hero’s who made the ultimate sacrifice against imperialism.
