Cuba Archive - Case 12

Case ID: 12

Title: N/A

First name: Francisco

Last name: Gonzalez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:19 / Month:1 / Year:1985

Citizenship: Nicaragua

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: Menocal, San José de las Lajas

Location of death - city: N/A

Location of death province - at TOD: La Habana

Location of death province - current: La Habana

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: N/A

Associated Event: 1985 Cubana de Aviación crash

Case description:

Nicaraguan, Secretary of International Relations for the Sandinista Workers Union, killed when a Cubana de Aviación plane (Soviet manufactured Ilyushin Il-18D delivered in 1968, registration CU-T899 ) crashed in the outskirts of Havana shortly after takeoff from the José Martí International Airport. All 41 passengers and crew were killed: 26 Cubans, two U.S. citizens (one who traveled clandestinely and was not reported in the official list of victims) ten Nicaraguans, one Guatemalan, one Costa Rican, and one Mexican. Cuba officially reported after a long investigation that the crash had been an accident caused by fire in one of the engines. However, several former members of the Cuban military and intelligence services have reported that the plane had been improperly loaded by the Cuban government with boxes containing tons of AK rifles, grenades, mines, and munitions for the Nicaraguan Sandinistas (which is banned from civil aviation); upon the plane turning, the load had shifted and put undue pressure on the cables communicating the cockpit with the tail, provoking the accident. Fidel Castro ordered Special Troops (under General Alejandro Ronda) to cordon off 3 km. surrounding the area and clean the debris and human remains (charred pieces due to the explosion) to erase traces of the cause of the accident.
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Nicaragüense, secretario de Relaciones Internacionales del Sindicato de Trabajadores Sandinista, muerto cuando un avión de Cubana de Aviación (Ilyushin Il-18D de fabricación soviética entregado en 1968, matrícula CU-T899) se estrelló en las afueras de La Habana poco después de despegar del Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí. Los 41 pasajeros y tripulantes murieron: 26 cubanos, dos ciudadanos estadounidenses (uno que viajó clandestinamente y no fue reportado en la lista oficial de víctimas) diez nicaragüenses, un guatemalteco, un costarricense y un mexicano. Cuba informó oficialmente después de una larga investigación que el accidente había sido provocado por un incendio en uno de los motores. Sin embargo, varios exmiembros de los servicios militares y de inteligencia cubanos han informado que el gobierno cubano había cargado incorrectamente el avión con cajas que contenían toneladas de rifles AK, granadas, minas y municiones para los sandinistas nicaragüenses (que está prohibido en la aviación civil); al girar el avión, la carga se desplazó y ejerció una presión indebida sobre los cables que comunicaban la cabina con la cola, provocando el accidente. Fidel Castro ordenó a las Tropas Especiales (al mando del general Alejandro Ronda) acordonar 3 km. rodear la zona y limpiar los escombros y restos humanos (piezas carbonizadas por la explosión) para borrar las huellas de la causa del accidente.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Gross or criminal negligence

Occupations: - Management Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Civilian casualty / Bystander

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Francisco Gonzalez