Armando Choy Rodríguez, a brigadier general in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba, died July 27. He was one of three Chinese Cuban generals interviewed in the book Our History Is Still Being Written, published by Pathfinder Press. The book describes the historic place of Chinese immigrants to Cuba, as well as their contributions to Cuba’s revolutionary action and internationalism.
Choy was a founding member of the July 26 Movement in 1955, led by Fidel Castro. In 1958 he became the leader of the organization’s Student Front in Las Villas province. As a result of his revolutionary activity he was arrested and jailed five times.
In May 1958 he joined the Rebel Army in the Escambray Mountains, eventually fighting under the command of Ernesto Che Guevara. After the revolution he led one of the units that defeated the U.S.-backed mercenary invasion at the Bay of Pigs in April 1961. He held numerous leadership positions in the army and government. From 1980 to 1982 he was one of the thousands of volunteers who participated in Cuba’s internationalist mission in Angola that defeated the South African white supremacist army.
Choy retired from active duty in 1992, taking over administration of the port of Havana. He was a founding member of the Communist Party of Cuba and of the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution.
The Militant will publish an article on Choy’s contributions to the revolution in a coming issue.