' s ▁regime . ▁Her ▁c land est ine ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁movement ▁included ▁sm ugg ling ▁weapons , ▁medicine , ▁and ▁money ▁to ▁the ▁reb els . ▁P ue bla ▁also ▁participated ▁in ▁low - level ▁sab ot age ▁against ▁the ▁government , ▁cutting ▁power ▁lines ▁and ▁slash ing ▁police ▁car ▁t ires . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁she ▁went ▁into ▁the ▁Sierra ▁Ma estra ▁mountains ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁re bel ▁army ▁after ▁her ▁collaboration ▁with ▁the ▁reb els ▁had ▁been ▁revealed ▁to ▁the ▁government ▁by ▁a ▁captured ▁M - 2 6 - 7 ▁member . ▁In ▁the ▁S ier ras ▁she ▁met ▁and ▁worked ▁with ▁the ▁ins urg ent ▁organ izer ▁Cel ia ▁S ánchez , ▁the ▁" m other " ▁of ▁the ▁re bel ▁forces . ▁ ▁The ▁re bel ▁leader ▁F idel ▁Castro ▁formed ▁the ▁Mar iana ▁Gra j ales ▁Women ' s ▁Pl ato on ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁th ir teen ▁women ▁whom ▁he ▁personally ▁taught ▁to ▁shoot . ▁Castro ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁pl ato on ▁would ▁be ▁his ▁personal ▁body guard ▁unit . ▁P ue bla ▁was ▁made ▁second - in - command . ▁The ▁Marian as ▁participated ▁in ▁combat ▁on ▁multiple ▁occasions ▁and ▁acted ▁as ▁message ▁run ners ▁for ▁the ▁army . ▁They ▁had ▁been ▁issued ▁with ▁M 1 ▁car b ines , ▁which ▁were ▁l ighter ▁in ▁weight ▁and ▁easier ▁to ▁carry ▁than ▁the ▁weapons ▁that ▁were ▁typically ▁issued ▁to ▁re bel ▁gu err illa