Cuba Archive - Case 216

Case ID: 216

Title: N/A

First name: Roque

Last name: Dalton García

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Rene Perea Ayala

Age: 39

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:14 / Month:5 / Year:1935

Civil Status: Married

Date of death/disappearance: Day:10 / Month:5 / Year:1975

Citizenship: El Salvador

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: El Salvador

Location death-address: House in the Santa Anita neighborhood

Location of death - city: San Salvador

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: El Salvador

Trial held?: Yes

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: N/A or Undetermined

Death attribution detail: Fellow revolutionaries from El Salvador with possible orders from Cuba

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Young Salvadoran literary figure and revolutionary, author of more than a dozen volumes of prose and poetry.  He had been recruited in 1963 by Cuban intelligence services, codenamed "Montenegro," and trained by in intelligence operations and guerrilla warfare. He then joined an emerging guerrilla movement in El Salvador, the ERP - Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo- (People's Revolutionary Army), but had conflict with its leaders. He was accused of treason, of working for the CIA, tried and shot to death the same day.  He left two sons. 
Author Brian Latell advances the theory that Dalton might have run afoul of Fidel Castro and the Cubans, who ordered his execution.  As proof, he claims that soon afterwards, another prominent Salvadoran revolutionary, Salvador Cayetano Carpio, was found dead of a gunshot wound in Nicaragua, his death explained as a suicide. A Cuban defector claims Fidel Castro had ordered his execution. 
In January 2012, the Salvadoran government decreed that the statute of limitations for the murder of Roque Dalton had expired.
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Joven figura literaria y revolucionaria salvadoreña, autor de más de una decena de volúmenes de prosa y poesía. Había sido reclutado en 1963 por los servicios de inteligencia cubanos, con el nombre de guerra "Montenegro", y entrenado en operaciones de inteligencia y guerra de guerrillas. Luego se unió a un movimiento guerrillero emergente en El Salvador, el ERP - Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo, pero tuvo conflictos con sus líderes. Fue acusado de traición, de trabajar para la CIA, juzgado y fusilado el mismo día. Dejó dos hijos.
El autor Brian Latell avanza la teoría de que Dalton pudo haber chocado con Fidel Castro y los cubanos, quienes ordenaron su ejecución. Como prueba, afirma que poco después, otro destacado revolucionario salvadoreño, Salvador Cayetano Carpio, fue encontrado muerto de una herida de bala en Nicaragua, explicando su muerte como suicidio. Un desertor cubano afirma que Fidel Castro había ordenado su ejecución. En enero de 2012, el gobierno salvadoreño decretó que el plazo de prescripción por el asesinato de Roque Dalton había expirado.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing, possible/suspected

Occupations: - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Other

Affiliations: - Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo (El Salvador)

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Roque Dalton García