Calixto Garcia was born on August 4, 1839 in Holguin. Garcia was of Cuban-Creole descent and was a large, strong, educated man with a short fuse. Garcia was the grandson of Calixto Garcia de Luna e Izquierdo. Garcia's grandfather had fought in the Battle of Carabobo in what is now called Venezuela. His grandfather (who had dropped the aristocratic "de Luna" upon taking refuge in Cuba) had been jailed on March 18, 1837 for demanding emancipation of slaves, constitutional freedom for all, and allegedly trying to hang a priest who opposed him.
Around the age of 18, the younger Garcia, taking after his grandfather, joined with a Cuban uprising. Garcia fought against Spanish colonial rule for five years until his arrest. In an attempt to avoid imprisonment, Garcia shot himself, but survived. He was imprisoned until the Pact of Zanjon was signed in 1878. Garcia travelled to Paris and New York between imprisonments. In keeping to his quest, Garcia joined Maceo in the Little War from 1879 to 1880 as well as the Cuban War of Independence.
Calixto García y Iñigues (August 4, 1839-1898) was born in Holguin.
Garcia was of Cuban Criollo descent, his maternal surname Iñíguez, indicates descendence from Iñigo Arista, Basque King whose forces are referred to as demons in the Song of Roland.
Garcia was the grandson of CalixtoGarcia de Luna e Izquierdo.
Garcia de Luna fought on the Spanish side in the Battle of Carabobo, against Bolivar and the English (Irish?) battalion (Legion), in what is now Venezuela in 1821.
Much mystery surrounds CalixtoGarcia de Luna e Izquierdo it is not understood why he left his wife and daughters in Venezuela and why he arrived in Cuba in 1831 about ten years after the Carabobo defeat.
It is known by court documents that his son Ramon Garcia Gonzalez, bitterly opposed his grandson's (CalixtoGarcia Iñiguez) marriage to Isabel Velez Cabrera; perhaps because Isabel did not have personal fortune, and she was born in the Taino town of Jiguani.
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