Battle of Las Mercedes

Battle of Las Mercedes
Part of Operation Verano and the Cuban Revolution
Date 29 July–8 August 1958 Location Sierra Maestra mountains, Cuba Result Government victory The rebels were successfully ambushed and forced to retreat. The rebels win propaganda victory by escaping.
Belligerents
Republic Of Cuba	26th of July Movement
Commanders and leaders
Gen. Eulogio Cantillo	Fidel Castro René Ramos Latour † Che Guevara
Units involved
Battalion 17	Unknown
Strength
1,500+ men	Unknown
Casualties and losses
32 killed 50 captured	70 killed

The Battle of Las Mercedes (29 July-8 August 1958) was the last battle which occurred during the course of Operation Verano, the summer offensive of 1958 launched by the Batista military dictatorship during the Cuban Revolution against the nationalist independence Cuban rebels of the 26th of July Movement.^[1]

The battle was a trap, designed by Cuban General Eulogio Cantillo to lure Fidel Castro's guerrillas into a place where they could be surrounded and destroyed. The battle ended with a cease-fire which Castro proposed and which Cantillo accepted. During the cease-fire, Castro's forces escaped back into the mountains. The battle, though technically a victory for the Cuban army, left the army dispirited and demoralized. Castro viewed the result as a victory and soon launched his own offensive.