Cuba Archive - Case 1541

Case ID: 1541

Title: N/A

First name: Beatriz

Last name: Porco Calle

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 22

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:29 / Month:3 / Year:2008

Citizenship: Bolivia

Last known address: School of Medicine

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Hospital Faustino Perez

Location of death - city: Matanzas

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: No

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: Body tampering/missing parts/family denied remains

Case description:

Medical student from the Bolivian province of Oruro, municipality of Curahuara de Carangas, had been studying Medicine in Cuba at the Latin American School of Medicine in Havana for three years. She was part of a contingent of 1,000 Bolivian medical students receiving free medical training through scholarships arranged between the Cuban and Bolivian governments. Reportedly, she died of a brain hemorrhage resulting from endocranial hypertension (hemorrhagic brain-vascular disease caused by a congenital cerebellum meningeal vascular malformation). Her body was repatriated to Bolivia four days later (April 3, 2008) with all of the organs missing, including the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, ovaries, tongue, eyes, and teeth. Her family accused the Cuban government of trying to cover up organ trafficking and of subjecting them to pressure to keep silent through local government officials. Cuban officials tried to have an autopsy in Bolivia performed at a medical center staffed by Cuban doctors, but the family refused. The Cuban government responded that international and internal rules regarding the transfer of bodies and requiring embalming had been followed and Fidel Castro accused “the empire” (the United States) of using lies to create a public relations problem for Cuba. Bolivia's Medical Association and several members of congress called for an official investigation.
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Estudiante de medicina de la provincia boliviana de Oruro, municipio de Curahuara de Carangas, llevaba tres años estudiando Medicina en Cuba en la Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina de La Habana. Formó parte de un contingente de 1.000 estudiantes de medicina bolivianos que recibieron formación médica gratuita a través de becas concertadas entre los gobiernos cubano y boliviano. Según se informa, murió de una hemorragia cerebral resultante de la hipertensión endocraneal (enfermedad vascular cerebral hemorrágica causada por una malformación vascular meníngea cerebelosa congénita). Su cuerpo fue repatriado a Bolivia cuatro días después (3 de abril de 2008) sin todos los órganos, incluidos el cerebro, los pulmones, los riñones, el hígado, los ovarios, la lengua, los ojos y los dientes. Su familia acusó al gobierno cubano de intentar encubrir el tráfico de órganos y de someterlos a presiones para guardar silencio a través de funcionarios del gobierno local. Los funcionarios cubanos intentaron que se realizara una autopsia en Bolivia en un centro médico atendido por médicos cubanos, pero la familia se negó. El gobierno cubano respondió que se habían cumplido las normas internacionales e internas relativas a la transferencia de cadáveres y la exigencia de embalsamamiento y Fidel Castro acusó al “imperio” (Estados Unidos) de utilizar mentiras para crear un problema de relaciones públicas para Cuba. La Asociación Médica de Bolivia y varios miembros del Congreso pidieron una investigación oficial.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Medical condition/Denial of medical care

Occupations: - Not in the labor force

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Other

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Beatriz Porco Calle