The Outlook Podcast Archive - The Cuban aristocrat with a revolutionary secret

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In the 1950s, Cuba was run by a military dictator called Fulgencio Batista, and a wealthy elite controlled the country's resources. On the surface, Natalia Bolivar was a member of this elite. She was a rich socialite from an aristocratic family. She spent her days engrossed in the art world, studying in Havana and New York.

But she had a secret. She'd joined an underground group called the Revolutionary Directorate, made up of students who'd become urban guerrillas. As the struggle against Batista intensified, Natalia took up arms, and used her high class contacts to help her cause. But when her secret was revealed, even her aristocratic roots couldn't save her from arrest and torture.

Presenter: Jane Chambers
Producer: Harry Graham

Image and credit: Natalia Bolivar

Published on Saturday, 8th June 2019.

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