In the original usage it means those armed with a smooth bore long barrel fire arm, sometimes a trabuco or blunderbuss, and has been used in this general context in histories of Spain and Latin America [1]. It has been used to describe a pitcher in baseball e.g. [2], or a sniping journalist [3]. It has also been used in the context of fighting to until victory "El credo del escopetero" [4]
1950s context
During the "War Against Batista" in Cuba this term was applied to the essential scouts and pickets that ranged from the Sierra Maestra and other mountain ranges to the plains (Morán Arce, 1980). The much despised "escopeteros," "come vacas" (eaters of cows) were responsible for semi-continuously holding terrain against smaller sized Batista patrols [5]. The escopeteros provided first alerts, communications, protected supply routes, provided essential intelligence and often captured weapons which were sent up to the mainline Castro forces in the high mountains.
Raul Castro's mission to open a second front was in reality a mission to control an area already in possession of independent (“por la libre”) escopeteros (Álvarez Batista,1983).
1960s context
A number of escopeteros joined the opposition to Fidel Castro in the War Against the Bandits (Encinosa, l989) War Against the Bandits The War Against the Bandits (Escambray Revolt) was a revolt against the Revolutionary Government of Fidel Castro, mostly in the middle provinces of Cuba, starting in 1959 and continuing until about 1966. ...
References
Álvarez Batista, Gerónimo 1983. III Frente a las puertas de Santiago. Editorial Letras Cubanas, Havana.
Pérez Galdós, Benito El equipaje del rey José. Miguel D CervantesVirtual Library [6]
Encinosa, Enrique G. l989 El Escopetero Chapter in Escambray: La Guerra Olvidada Un Libro Historico De Los Combatientes Anticastristas En Cuba (1960-1966). Editorial SIBI, Miami [7], [8]
Morán Arce, Lucas 1980 La revolución cubana, 1953-1959: Una versión rebelde. Imprenta Universitaria, Universidad Católica; ISBN B0000EDAW9
Escopeteros in its original usage means those armed with a smoothbore long barrel firearm, sometimes a trabuco or blunderbuss, and has been used in this general context in histories of Spain and Latin America [1].
The "escopeteros," were responsible for semi-continuously holding terrain against smaller sized Batista patrols [5].
The escopeteros provided first alerts, communications, protected supply routes, provided essential intelligence and often captured weapons which were sent up to the mainline Castro forces in the high mountains.
He, Desiderio Alarcón, was leading a group of Escopeteros of the anti-Batista resistance in the foothills of the Sierra near Cacaíto between the Guamá and the Bayamo river watersheds.
Two of another group of escopeteros, la Gente de Mojena, have begun to fire at the spotter plane with shot guns, a.410 and a 16 gauge, one "pop" and one "boom" at each pass.
They the escopeteros of Mojena crossed the River Guamá at Paso Caimanes, the ghosts of the not so long dead crocodiles, were with them as they step almost falling into the, cutting side, the male side, the aggressive side of the river.
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