Cuba Archive - Case 2120

Case ID: 2120

Title: N/A

First name: Guillermo de Jesús

Last name: Alvarez Pérez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 29

Gender: N/A

Date of Birth: Day:4 / Month:8 / Year:1965

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:4 / Month:9 / Year:1994

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: Calle Domingo Puente 173A e/Dolores Betancourt y Palmira, Reparto Torres Blancas

Last known city: Camaguey

Last known province-TOD: Camagüey

Last known province current: Camagüey

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: N/A

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

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: N/A

Case description:

Guillermo had been persecuted and harassed by State Security for years after refusing to become an informant at his workplace. In 1982, at age 17, he had been sentenced to three years in prison for transporting a piece of beef, which was forbidden in Cuba; he had served just half the sentence for his good behavior. The constant harassment and threats by authorities prompted him to leave Cuba although he had an eleven month-old son. In his first attempt, on August 3, 1994, he used his two fishing boats to leave with his sister and some friends from Vertientes, in the southern coast of Camaguey. They were reported to authorities, stopped by Cuban Border Guard vessels, his boats confiscated, and the men were detained for three days. On Sept. 4, 1994 they left again (with his sister and four others from Camaguey) from the same location in a raft. Around twenty days later, the family was informed by State Security that their son and daughter had perished, drowned in a storm with three others (first names Giovanni, Dennis, and Yodelski, a 15 yr. old girl) after being pushed inland to a coral reef; only one, first name Roberto, had survived. He was the only member of the group who was not a friend. The family believes he was probably a State Security informant or agent and that the group was likely killed by Cuban authorities.  State Security officers told the family that the deceased had been buried four days earlier at Isla de la Juventud and were not given any other information about the circumstances of death. They flew there and were not allowed to bring the remains home or to talk to the survivor, who subsequently returned to Camaguey but refused to see them and left the city after they insisted. Two years later, they went to have the bodies exhumed and brought the bones home to Camaguey. 
The parents were harassed, threatened, and persecuted systematically  and forbidden from seeking information on the case. They were subjected to psychological torture, as the police came to their house repeatedly for years seeking to arrest their son, including at 4AM on the 10th anniversary of his death. They became human rights´ activists with the MOSEL (Movimiento de Solidaridad con la Libre Expresión). Facing the threat of 20 years of prison, in December 2012 they finally left Cuba for the United States as political refugees.
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Guillermo había sido perseguido y acosado por la Seguridad del Estado durante años después de negarse a convertirse en informante en su lugar de trabajo. En 1982, a los 17 años, había sido sentenciado a tres años de prisión por transportar un trozo de carne de res, prohibido en Cuba; sólo había cumplido la mitad de la condena por su buen comportamiento. El constante hostigamiento y amenazas de las autoridades lo impulsó a salir de Cuba aunque tenía un hijo de once meses. En su primer intento, el 3 de agosto de 1994, utilizó sus dos pesqueros para partir con su hermana y algunos amigos de Vertientes, en la costa sur de Camagüey. Fueron denunciados a las autoridades, detenidos por embarcaciones de la Guardia Fronteriza cubana, sus botes confiscados y los hombres fueron detenidos durante tres días. El 4 de septiembre de 1994 partieron nuevamente (con su hermana y otras cuatro personas de Camagüey) desde el mismo lugar en una balsa. Aproximadamente veinte días después, la Seguridad del Estado informó a la familia que su hijo y su hija habían fallecido, ahogados en una tormenta con otros tres (nombres de pila Giovanni, Dennis y Yodelski, una niña de 15 años) después de haber sido empujados tierra adentro a un arrecife de coral; sólo había sobrevivido uno, el nombre de pila Roberto. Era el único miembro del grupo que no era amigo. La familia cree que probablemente fue un informante o agente de la Seguridad del Estado y que el grupo posiblemente fue asesinado por las autoridades cubanas. Agentes de la Seguridad del Estado dijeron a la familia que el fallecido había sido enterrado cuatro días antes en la Isla de la Juventud y no se les dio ninguna otra información sobre las circunstancias de la muerte. Volaron allí y no se les permitió trasladar los restos a Camagüey ni hablar con el sobreviviente, quien posteriormente regresó a Camagüey pero se negó a verlos y abandonó la ciudad cuando insistieron. Dos años después, fueron a exhumar los cuerpos y se llevaron los huesos a Camagüey.
Los padres fueron acosados, amenazados y perseguidos sistemáticamente y se les prohibió buscar información sobre el caso. Fueron sometidos a tortura psicológica, ya que la policía acudió a su casa en repetidas ocasiones durante años para intentar detener a su hijo, incluso a las 4 de la madrugada del décimo aniversario de su muerte. Se convirtieron en activistas de derechos humanos con el MOSEL (Movimiento de Solidaridad con la Libre Expresión). Ante la amenaza de 20 años de prisión, en diciembre de 2012 finalmente salieron de Cuba rumbo a Estados Unidos como refugiados políticos.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Disappearance: forced (suspected) - in exit attempt

Occupations: - Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: - Brother/Sister in Case 2710: Lyanella Georgina Alvarez Pérez

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 2710: Lyanella Georgina Alvarez Pérez

Case Record - Guillermo de Jesús Alvarez Pérez