Robin and Eric were orphaned at a very young age on April 13, 1961. Their mother, Fe del Valle Ramos, was the head of the children’s sales department of the famous El Encanto store, located on the corner of Galliano and San Rafael streets in the capital, in Havana. When two incendiary flasks made from C-4 plastic explosive set fire to the site that day, she returned to the building, although she was safe outside, to rescue tickets for a fundraiser for the construction of children’s clubs. His courage and deep sensitivity to the cause cost him his life, and today his name appears in the long list of victims of terrorism that has plagued our country for more than six decades.
El Encanto has been a commercial, social and cultural symbol. He was chosen as the target of the attack, and on April 9, a bomb exploded in his portals, destroying the windows on Galiano Street, the windows of Ten Cent, and the La Moda fur store. However, the people who carried out the attack were not satisfied and repeated the act four days later.
18 people were injured and about 20 million dollars of economic loss, in addition to the psychological consequences that, knowing that they were constantly attacked and harassed, left our population. We do not know if Carlos González Vidal could sleep peacefully after he bombed El Encanto as a member of the terrorist group Movimiento de Recuperación del Pueblo.
He was captured by a militia company stationed in Playa Giron, where he went after the attack, in order to leave the country. He admitted his guilt without remorse, and Robin and Eric barely fell asleep. The fire was extinguished at dawn on 14 April. Cuba woke up in mourning, and all mothers wanted to hug those who “missed” their mother’s happy smile forever.
Source: Juventud Rebelde
