HAVANA : Low-Key Celebration

Cubans on Monday plan a quiet 40th anniversary commemoration of the attack on the Moncada military barracks that signaled the start of the revolution that brought Communist rule to the island of 10 million people.

The unsuccessful attack by a group of students led by Fidel Castro resulted in their arrest and imprisonment. But the revolution ultimately triumphed on New Year’s Eve Day in 1959.

Past anniversaries have been celebrated with large gatherings of dignitaries from other socialist countries. But, in a reflection of Cuba’s critical economic situation and the sharp drop in Communist governments, the most distinguished group of foreign visitors this year will be members of the Sao Paolo Forum, a group of leftist Latin American organizations.