Cuba Archive - Case 10005

Case ID: 10005

Title: N/A

First name: William

Last name: Viera

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Pellejo

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Month:2 / Year:1976

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: calle Alemán # 562 e/ Tomas Estrada Palma y Misionero, Reparto La Chirusa

Last known city: Santa Clara

Last known province-TOD: Villa Clara

Last known province current: Villa Clara

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Military installation

Location of death - city: Quemado Hilario, south of Santa Clara

Location of death province - at TOD: Villa Clara

Location of death province - current: Villa Clara

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: N/A

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: Armed Forces

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

William had been assigned at age 16 to a tank brigade south of Santa Clara for his obligatory military service when the chief of the political section of the brigade asked his regiment if there was anyone who did not want to take part in the internationalist mission to Angola. He was removed from the group, along with the 256 others who stepped forward.  They were kept apart from the internationalist group in a disciplinary barracks similar to a military prison for not wishing to take part in the internationalist mission and were not allowed to leave for forty-five days, during which time those who were being sent to Angola were training.  After two months, William asked Lieutenant Colonel Tamayo to be allowed to return home because he had family problems.  Tamayo denied this request, and William responded that he would go anyway.  When Tamayo ordered the guard on duty to shoot at him as he tried to escape, the guard refused, and Tamayo took his AKM-47 and shot William himself. At his funeral, his coffin was sealed, and his neighbors were not permitted to enter.  Members of the Military Counterintelligence Ibrahín, Toledo and Carlos Valdés were guarding his coffin.
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William había sido asignado a los 16 años a una brigada de tanques al sur de Santa Clara para su servicio militar obligatorio cuando el jefe de la sección política de la brigada preguntó a su regimiento si había alguien que no quisiera participar en la misión internacionalista a Angola,  él junto con otros 256 que dieron un paso al frente. Fueron mantenidos apartados del grupo internacionalista en un cuartel disciplinario similar a una prisión militar por no querer ir a combatir en Angola y no se les permitió salir durante cuarenta y cinco días, tiempo durante el cual los que estaban siendo enviados a Angola fueron a un curso de capacitación. Después de dos meses, William le pidió al teniente coronel Tamayo que le permitiera regresar a casa porque tenía problemas familiares. Tamayo negó esta solicitud y William respondió que iría de todos modos. Cuando Tamayo ordenó al guardia de turno que disparara a William mientras intentaba escapar, el guardia se negó y Tamayo tomó su AKM-47 y asesinó el mismo a William. En su funeral, se selló su ataúd y no se permitió la entrada a sus vecinos. Los miembros de la Contrainteligencia Militar Ibrahín, Toledo y Carlos Valdés custodiaban su féretro.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Reported: Highly likely / Highly reliable source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Armed Forces: mandatory military service

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - William Viera