Cuba Archive - Case 1409

Case ID: 1409

Title: Teniente

First name: Daniel

Last name: Vázquez Montenegro

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Daniel F. Vázquez, Daniel Vázquez Montero, Daniel Montenegro, Daniel Valdéz Montenegro, Daniel Valdés Montenegro

Age: 33

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:13 / Month:3 / Year:1959

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: Marianao

Last known city: La Habana

Last known province-TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Kilo 5 1/2 prison

Location of death - city: Luis Lazo

Location of death province - at TOD: Pinar del Río

Location of death province - current: Pinar del Río

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Pinar del Río prison

How long imprisoned/detained: 3 or 4 days

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

A chemical engineer who joined the Army after graduating and was not involved in combat operations. His father was a career military man, a brother was in the Army and another brother was a policeman. He was detained and charged with the disappearance of a young man during the Batista regime but he had not even been present at this detention and no evidence was brought against him in the summary trial, which the family was not allowed to attend, and was held almost immediately after his detention. He was executed during the timeframe for the appeal and the family was not informed or allowed to say goodbye. His body was handed over to the family at 6am. He was taken to a funeral home in Marianao, Havana, where he was from, which filled with people who knew he had committed no crimes. The government wanted to shut down the funeral home but gave in to popular clamor.  The family demanded he be buried and the Cementerio Colon was opened at 7pm for the burial. He left a wife and five young children. 
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Un ingeniero químico que se unió al Ejército después de graduarse y no estuvo involucrado en operaciones de combate. Su padre era un militar de carrera, un hermano estaba en el ejército y otro hermano era un policía. Fue detenido y acusado de la desaparición de un joven durante el régimen de Batista, pero ni siquiera estuvo presente en esta detención y no se le presentó ninguna prueba en el juicio sumario, al que no se le permitió asistir a la familia y fue celebrada casi inmediatamente después de su detención. Fue ejecutado durante el período de apelación y no se le dijo a la familia ni se le permitió decir adiós. Su cuerpo fue entregado a la familia a las 6 de la mañana. Fue llevado a una funeraria en Marianao, La Habana, de donde él era, lleno de gente que sabía que no había cometido ningún crimen. El gobierno quería cerrar la funeraria, pero cedió ante el clamor popular. La familia exigió que fuera enterrado y el Cementerio Colón fue abierto a las 7pm para el entierro. Dejó una esposa y cinco hijos pequeños.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Beruvides, 1993, p. 184, reports him executed on 8/25/1959. Ruíz, 1965, p. 244, Beruvides, 1993, p. 184, Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 27, and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 87 report a David Vázquez executed at La Cabaña on 3/22/1959. Some sources report a David Vázquez Montenegro executed in 1960. Beruvides, 1993, p. 184, and  Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, report a Daniel Vázquez as an insurgent killed in combat in 1961. Ruíz, 1965, p. 244; Beruvides, 1993, p. 184; Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 27; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 87, all report a Daniel Vázquez, of the Constitutional Armed Forces of Cuba, executed March 22, 1959 at La Cabaña Fortress prison.  Beruvides, 1993, p. 184; and Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, reports a Daniel Vázquez, anti-Castro insurgent killed in combat in 1961. WAQI-Radio Mambí, pp. 68 and 82; Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; Beruvides, 1993, pp. 182 and 184; Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 66; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 87, all report a Daniel Valdéz Montenegro or Daniel Valdés Montenegro, a Leiutenant in Cuba´s Constitutional Armed Forces, executed August 25, 1959.   Ruíz, 1965, p. 242, Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, and Beruvides, 1993, p. 146 report him as Daniel Montenegro, executed on 9/1959.
Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 85 Beruvides, 1993, p. 182 Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 86 and WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 82, report Daniel Valdéz Montenegro or Daniel Valdés Montenegro executed on October 11, 1959. Both Beruvides, 1993, p. 182, and WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 82, have him executed by firing squad in San Luis, province of Oriente.

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Execution: by firing squad

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations - Life, Physical, and Social Science Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Armed Forces: served Batista government

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Daniel Vázquez Montenegro