Martires Pinareños
(Martyrs of Pinar del
Rio, Cuba)
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[When known, the
names are given with and without the punctuation marks
to aid in searching]
"The instruments of control used by the [Castro] government
have ...
included censorship, but also the positive use of
television, radio,
films and the press... Street and city names have not been
changed...
The names of hospitals and sugar mills, schools and
factories, usually
commemorate some dead hero of the recent past... Older
heroes of the
1930s ... are also commemorated". Cuba: Pursuit of Freedom
by Hugh
Thomas, Harper & Row NY 1971 page 1462.
In addition to July 26 Movement members, the government also
made
heroes of all the men who died in battle or protest against
Batista,
even those from other political organizations who didn't
generally
support Castro. The families of these people were
given titles
such as "Widow of a Martyr of the Revolution" and were
"encouraged" to
make public appearances, and to perform other duties as
required
although they didn't support the government of Castro.
The
government also named districts of the CDR (Committee for
the Defense
of the Revolution, better known as "block watchers"), after
such heroes.
By making all the local heroes "martyrs" of the
"Revolution", the
government tries to reach a broad base of supporters and
gives the
impression that these men fought for the present government
which is a
false impression.
The list below shows the party affiliation, or
non-affiliation, of each
"martyr". The majority are NOT July 26 Movement
members.
THE "SADISTIC CRIMINALS"
Jacinto Garcia Menocal is singled out as an
example of the brutality of
the Batista government and one of the reasons the Cuban
people wanted a
change. What they received is not necessarily what
they wanted.
6 out of 13
listed as being killed in 1958 were killed by Menocal
Jacinto Garcia Menocal. Major. Servicio Inteligente
Militar. SIM
(Military Intelligence Service or Special Police) in San
Cristobal in
Pinar del Rio, Cuba. His suicide was reported in Revolución
on 4
Jan 1959 before being captured by the authorities and before
he could
escape, like his bosses had done. Five of his men were
executed on 14
Feb 1959.
The "Revolutionary" tribunals usually only caught and tried
the lessor
members of the Batista Dictatorship. Most of the
higher and more
significant men fled Cuba only to establish or finance exile
organizations that waged a continuing propaganda and armed
struggle
which has lasted over 40 years. The five men who
followed Major
Menocal's orders were executed on the 14th of February 1959
by firing
squad.
MENOCAL'S MEN
A... Sanchez Capote, José [Jose] "Cheo".
PHOTO Corporal.
B... Vigoa Garcia, Orlando B.
PHOTO Policeman
with National Police.
C... Mosquera Valdés, Mario [Mosquera Valdes, Mario].
PHOTO
Soldier.
D... del Cristo, Orestes.
PHOTO Soldier.
E... Paula Ramos, Juan P.
PHOTO Soldier.
THE
MARTYRS OF PINAR DEL RIO, CUBA
Although they are not on the "official" list, the following
four men
were the last to be killed according to Esteban Ventura
Novo. They were
detained in the evening of December 26, 1958. Tortured on
the 27th.
Hanged by the neck on the 28th of December, 1958.
1... Ramón Pérez Lima,
PHOTO age
22, 1st year of Engineering in University of Havana,
2nd Year at Villanueva.
Instructor of Matematics.
2... Javier Calvo Formoso,
PHOTO age
21, Instructor at Belen and President of the
Confederaciones
Universitarias Catolicas, professor of Psychology at Belen.
Medical
student in Havana and of
Psychology in Villanueva.
3... Jose Ignacio Marti Santa Cruz,
PHOTO 21
years old, Born in Santiago de Cuba,
Oriente. Third year of Engineering
in Universidad de Villanueva
4... Julian Martinez Inclan.
PHOTO
...
Another source mentions a fifth:
5... Manuel Sábalo
[REFERENCE: Photos
published: Vocero
Occidental 25 July 1959. Biographical
information: Catalogo del Museo De Los Martieres,
Pinar del Rio,
1960.]
[NOTE: Both of these
references are not complete and should be taken
accordingly]
Name – Organization Affiliation – Date of Death
1... Acosta, Lázaro [Lazaro] "El Pandeao".
PHOTO
Revolutionary. Medical student.
Killed in 1958.
2... Amarán [Amaran] Mamposo, Roberto.
PHOTO Tercer
Frente de la Cordillera de
los Organos. Killed 5 Dec
1958 by
Menocal.
3... Arenado Llonch, Ormani.
PHOTO Directorio
Revolucionario.
Died in the Palace Assault 13
Mar 1957.
4... Barredo Díaz [Diaz], Isidro.
PHOTO
Revolutionary.
Killed by
Menocal
29 Nov 1958.
5... de Armas Rodríguez [Rodriguez], Dr. Isidro. July 26
Movement. Killed in battle
17 Aug 1958. No Photo.
6... Echevarría [Echevarria] Acosta, Enrique "Kike".
PHOTO Palace
Attack.
No date of death.
7... Fernández Viñas [Fernandez Venas], Ceferino.
PHOTO
Revolutionary.
Killed by
Menocal
10 Aug 1958.
8... Ferro Macías [Macias], Rafael "Ferrito".
PHOTO
Revolutionary.
Killed 18 Aug 1958.
9... Gonzalez, Carlos.
PHOTO (Not
listed in the Pinar del Rio Museum)
10... González Coro, Ramón "Monguito Coro" [Gonzalez
Hernandez, Jose Ramon].
Directorio
Revolucionario, fought in the Escambray. Killed 17 Dec 1958.
No photo.
11... Guiteras Holmes, Antonio. Directorio Estudiantil. Died
1935. No Photo.
12... Hernández [Hernandez], Arroyo, Lazaro. July 26
Movement. Killed in the Moncada
Attack 26 Jul
1953. No Photo.
13... Hernández León, José Manuel "Chepe" [Hernandez Leon,
Jose Manuel].
PHOTO
Ortodoxio.
Killed in the Palace Assault13 Mar 1957.
14... Hidalgo Díaz [Diaz], Carlos. Revolutionary. Killed 24
Oct 1958. No Photo.
15... Legón [Legon] Padilla, Justo.
PHOTO
Revolutionary. Medical student.
Killed in 1958.
16... Lores Oliva, Gustavo. Revolutionary. Tortured to death
June 1958. No photo.
17... Maragoto Lara, Celso.
PHOTO PRC O/A.
Killed 24 Sep 1957.
18... Medina Cardentey, Gerardo.
PHOTO
Revolutionary.
Killed in the
Palace Assault 13 Mar 1957.
19... Mendez Alfonso, Roberto.
PHOTO (Not
listed in the Pinar del Rio Museum)
20... Pacheco Medina, Celestino. Revolutionary.
PHOTO
Killed in the
Palace Assault 13 Mar 1957.
21... Portilla Gomis, Fernando "Pepe".
PHOTO
Directorio Revolucionario, Triple A, O/A.
Killed 26 Dec
1958 by
Menocal on orders from Esteban Ventura.
22... Saidén [Saiden or Zaiden] Rivera, Pedro.
PHOTO Revolutionary,
Palace Assault.
Killed 27 Nov
1957.
23... Saíz [Saiz] Montes de Oca, Luis.
PHOTO
Directorio Revolucionario, July 26
Movement. Killed
13 Aug 1957.
24... Saíz [Saiz] Montes de Oca, Sergio.
PHOTO July
26 Movement.
Killed 13 Aug
1957.
25... Sánchez, Pedro Raúl "Laíto" [Sanchez Rodriguez,
Pedro Raul "Laito"].
PHOTO
Revolutionary
with "Ferrito". Killed 23 Oct 1958 by
Menocal.
26... Téllez Valdés [Tellez Valdes], Pedro .
PHOTO
Partido Revolucionario Cubano.
Killed in the
Palace Assault 13 Mar 1957.
27... Valdes Mendoza, Giraldo.
PHOTO Killed by
Menocal.
(Not listed in the Pinar del
Rio Museum)
........
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