Cuba Archive - Case 207

Case ID: 207

Title: N/A

First name: Laura

Last name: Pollán Toledo

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 63

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: Day:13 / Month:2 / Year:1948

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:14 / Month:10 / Year:2011

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Havana

Last known province-TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Calixto García Hospital

Location of death - city: N/A

Location of death province - at TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

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: State Security officer Fernando Tamayo Gómez

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

The 63-year-old leader of the renown Ladies in White peaceful opposition movement died of a sudden unexplained illness. Human rights activists who were close to how events unfolded in Havana suspect she was poisoned or inoculated with a biological agent.  Laura was healthy and active despite a medically-controlled diabetes mellitus when she became increasingly ill with chills, vomiting, joint pain, and fever twenty days after being attacked, bitten, pinched, and scratched, by a government-led mob against her and a group of Ladies in White. Numerous medical tests failed to a point to a cause or lead doctors to a diagnosis. Her condition worsened and when she developed shortness of breath, she was hospitalized under heavy State Security control. She died a week later; State Security agents laughed out loud in front of the family upon her death.  A 2-hour funeral was allowed immediately after her death and the body was taken for cremation less than 10 hours after she had expired. 
Two days before Laura's death, her family had been told she was likely suffering from dengue complicated by the syncytial virus, that is almost never serious and was probably contracted at the hospital. However, her death certificate stated as the cause of death: diabetes mellitus type 2, bronchopneumonia, and syncytial virus. 
A few days after her death, State Security officer Fernando Tamayo Gómez, who had been managing Laura's case at the hospital and upon her death, threatened a dissident: "We killed Laura; we can do the same with you and nothing happens."  In 2009, Laura had been riding in a car on a highway near Havana giving an interview to an Italian filmmaker Pietroantonio Micciarelli when a vehicle crashed into their car, forcing it off the road, then sped away. Since 2009, several Ladies in White had been reporting being pricked with needles by regime supporters and soon developing physical ailments.
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La líder del reconocido movimiento de oposición Damas de Blanco, murió de una enfermedad repentina e inexplicable. Disfrutaba de buena salud y se mantenía activa a pesar de padecer de una diabetes controlada. Se enfermó repentinamente con escalofríos, vómitos, dolor en las articulaciones y fiebre veinte días después de haber sido mordida, pellizcada y arañada por una turba dirigida por el gobierno. Numerosas pruebas médicas no lograron diagnosticar la causa y su condición empeoraba. Fue hospitalizada bajo el control de la Seguridad del Estado, muriendo una semana después. Los agentes de la Seguridad del Estado se rieron en voz alta frente a la familia al anunciarse su muerte. El cadáver fue cremado casi de inmediato y el certificado de defunción reportaba condiciones no mortales como causa de muerte. Se sospecha que Laura fue envenenada o inoculada con un agente biológico. En 2009, viajaba en un automóvil en una carretera cerca de La Habana cuando se le estrelló otro vehículo, obligándolo a salir de la carretera, que se alejó a toda velocidad. Desde 2009, varias Damas de Blanco informaban sobre enfermedades que comenzaban a padecer poco después de ser pinchadas con agujas por partidarios del régimen.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing, possible/suspected

Occupations: - Education, Training, and Library Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Political opponent: member of opposition group

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Laura Pollán Toledo