29 years after the death of the five-time Formula 1 champion, I revisit the story of how he ended up being denied his freedom before the 1958 Havana GP.
Juan Manuel Fangio, Argentine sports legend who won five titles in Formula 1, died at the age of 84 on July 17, 1995.. In the highest category of motorsports worldwide he ran 51 races, of which he won 24, but In 1958, when he was preparing to compete in Havana, the capital city of Cuba, he was kidnapped by the 26 de Julio guerrilla movement.. That night, the perpetrators of the incident had dinner and asked for autographs.
In 1957, Roberto Fernández Miranda, brother-in-law of dictator Fulgencio Batista, thought it would be a good idea to organize a Formula 1 Grand Prix in Cuba. The sporting event will serve as a distraction from the economic and social problems experienced in the country, in addition to being a cover to hide the growth of the guerrilla in the Sierra Maestra, one of the mountainous areas in the south of the territory. . The plan worked and Fangio won the first edition of the Havana GP.
A year later, more precisely on February 22, 1958, the crooked, aboard his Masserati 450 S, did practice before the race. In his second time in the capital of Cuba, he was not satisfied with the condition of the circuit, which slightly raised the pavement in some places. For safety reasons, he spoke to the authorities and recommended that they restrict the number of spectators in sectors that are in poor condition.
On the same Saturday night, at the Lincoln Hotellocated 300 meters from Malecón Avenue where the street circuit for racing is installed, They kidnapped the Argentine sports idol. In the lobby of the place, while he was talking to the chief mechanic of Masserati, a tall man wearing a leather jacket approached him and exclaimed: “Excuse me, Juan, you have to accompany me.” Although the pilot refuses, and Sterling Moss and Alejandro D’Tomasso want to help their colleague, the man threatens to shoot them.
The July 26 Movement, led by Fidel Castro, took credit for the incident. The next day, newspapers across the country were talking about the kidnapping of the motorsports star. Batista, seeing that his diversionary work had failed, decided to take over the operation. Routes and airports were closed and all witnesses were questioned to find Fangio’s whereabouts.
During the hours of his captivity, the kidnappers showed that they were not interested in mistreating him, but rather sending a message to the whole world, and especially to the dictatorship. Although he refused to watch the race, they gave him a Sunday newspaper and let him call his family so they could have peace of mind that he was fine.
In the competition, Alberto García Fuentes had an accident on the fifth lap which caused his Ferrari to lose control. Finally, a car hits the spectators, leaving two dead and forty injured. “Maybe they saved my life from kidnapping.Fangio told the guerrillas.
Finally, the crooked He retired on July 6, 1958 at the French Grand Prix, but now out of competition, he returned to the island in 1981. There he was welcomed by Faustino Pérez, one of the men in charge of the guerrilla operation on the night of his kidnapping and Fidel Castro went to him personally to apologize. When he underwent heart surgery, members of the July 26 Movement sent a telegram to support him.
Source: Tycsports
I am Mary James, a passionate journalist and content creator who enjoys writing about the world of sports. I specialize in covering racing-related news for athletistic, one of the top websites dedicated to this topic. With my expertise in motorsports, I have been able to write compelling stories that captivate readers all over the world.
