Cuba Archive - Case 10755

Case ID: 10755

Title: N/A

First name: Christian

Last name: Barrera Díaz

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 24

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Married

Date of death/disappearance: Day:12 / Month:7 / Year:2021

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: N/A

Location death-address: Playa Sierrita

Location of death - city: Playa Larga

Location of death province - at TOD: Matanzas

Location of death province - current: Matanzas

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: No

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: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Was killed, presumably extrajudicially (by State agents) for attempting to leave Cuba on July 12, 2021, the day after mass protests erupted all over the island, in which he had participated. He had left home for Sierrita beach, Playa Larga, planning to escape the island by boat. Elite government troops arrived at dawn, opened fire, and started beating people (secret police informants often tip off on planned escapes). The following day, Christian's family searched for him at police stations and was eventually told that he was in custody in Matanzas with a group arrested for trying to leave “illegally.” Having fruitlessly searched prisons all over Matanzas, on August 4th, police told the family that Christian had drowned, as a body found on July 15th too decomposed for identification had been buried in a common grave. He left a one-year-old son.
=========================================

Fue asesinado, probablemente extrajudicialmente, por intentar salir de Cuba el 12 de julio de 2021, un día después de que estallaran protestas masivas en toda Cuba en las que había participado. Se había ido de su casa hacia playa Sierrita, Playa Larga, con el objetivo de escapar de la isla en bote. Las tropas élite del gobierno llegaron al amanecer, abrieron fuego y comenzaron a golpear a las personas allí presentes (los informantes de la policía secreta a menudo avisan de las fugas planificadas). Al día siguiente, la familia de Christian lo buscó en las comisarías y finalmente le dijeron que estaba detenido en Matanzas con un grupo arrestado por intentar irse del país "ilegalmente". Después de registrar infructuosamente las cárceles de Matanzas, el 4 de agosto la policía le dijo a la familia que Christian se había ahogado y que se había encontrado su cuerpo el 15 de julio demasiado descompuesto para su identificación, por lo que había sido enterrado en una fosa común. Christian dejó un hijo de un año.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing, possible/suspected

Occupations: N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Christian Barrera Díaz