Antonio del Conde, also known as “Cuate,” passed away at the age of 97. The news of his passing was communicated by his family and close friends, although no details were provided about the cause of his death until this Friday. Cuate’ lived in the municipality of Tecate, in the state of Baja California, Mexico.
Del Conde was a close friend of Fidel Castro and maintained close ties with the Cuban Revolution. He lived part of his life in Mexico City, where he was a well-known arms dealer in the 1950s. His biography details that he became close friends with Fidel Castro after the latter entered his store in search of armaments to start the revolution in Cuba, together with Raúl Castro and Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Since then, Cubans came to call him “Cuate,” which means “friend.” He, in turn, provided his contacts in New York for the purchase of weapons at lower prices.
In addition to being an arms dealer, Del Conde was also the owner of the famous ship the Granma, which was delivered to Fidel Castro so that, with its 82 expeditionaries, he could start the revolution against the dictator Fulgencio Batista in the Sierra Madre on December 2, 1956. After the victory of the revolution, “Cuate” moved to Cuba and went to work in the Ministry of Industry.
In 2007, when Fidel Castro fell ill, Del Conde no longer lived on the island and began to reduce the frequency of his visits, despite continuing to admire his great friend. At his home in Mexico City, “Cuate” treasured a replica of the Granma yacht. His death is an important milestone in the history of the Cuban Revolution, and his legacy as an arms dealer and owner of the ship that started the revolution is an important part of its history.