Cuba Archive - Case 2613

Case ID: 2613

Title: N/A

First name: Gerardo

Last name: Fundora Nuñez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Gerardo Fundora Nuez, Gerardo Fundora Muñoz, Gerardo Fundora González, Gerardo Fundora

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:1 / Month:4 / Year:1924

Civil Status: Married

Date of death/disappearance: Day:22 / Month:10 / Year:1960

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Matanzas

Last known province-TOD: Matanzas

Last known province current: Matanzas

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Limonar Shooting Field

Location of death province - at TOD: Matanzas

Location of death province - current: Matanzas

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: 296 of 1960

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

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: Anti-Castro insurgency/resistance

Case description:

Former labor leader, Secretary General of the Union of Textile Workers of Matanzas who worked at the textile mill Rayonera, of Matanzas, and former anti-Batista insurgent who had been exiled in Mexico with the Castro brothers. He became an opponent of the Castro takeover and formed a small resistance group in Palenque, Matanzas. He was captured with some members of his group, tortured at the San Severino Castle prison and executed very soon thereafter after a summary trial lacking due process of law. They accused him falsely of shooting a little girl in the countryside but the shooting was by government militias traveling by jeep. The day of Fundora’s execution, they paraded him around the city of Matanzas in a white van, to instill fear of resisting the government. He was denied a visit by a priest before his execution and was taken to a shooting field around 5AM together with the car carrying the casket he would be placed in. He refused to cover his eyes before the firing squad. The family was denied the body and held a wake without a body. Upon finding out where he had been shot and buried, they took flowers and paid tribute to him the field. Captured members of his resistance group were sentenced to 30 years of prison. He was married with a son and a son and a daughter from two previous relationships.
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Ex-líder sindical, secretario general del Sindicato de Trabajadores Textiles de Matanzas que trabajaba en la fábrica Rayonera, de Matanzas, y ex insurgente anti-Batista que se había exiliado en México con los hermanos Castro. Se convirtió en oponente de Castro y formó un pequeño grupo de resistencia en Palenque, Matanzas. Fue capturado con algunos miembros de su grupo, torturado en la prisión del Castillo de San Severino y ejecutado muy poco tiempo después sin celebrar juicio. Lo acusaron falsamente de disparar contra una niña, que actualmente había sido muerta por milicias gubernamentales que viajaban en un jeep. El día de la ejecución, lo obligaron a desfilar por la ciudad de Matanzas en una camioneta, para infundirle miedo a la población a resistir al gobierno. A un sacerdote se le negó la visita antes de su ejecución y fue llevado a un campo de tiro alrededor de las 5 de la mañana en un automóvil que llevaba el ataúd en el que lo colocarían. Se negó a cubrirse los ojos ante el pelotón de fusilamiento. A la familia se le negó el cuerpo y se celebró un velatorio sin cuerpo. Al enterarse de dónde lo habían fusilado y enterrado, le llevaron flores y le rindieron homenaje.  Los miembros capturados de su grupo de resistencia fueron condenados a 30 años de prisión. Estaba casado y tenía un hijo y una hija y un hijo de dos relaciones anteriores.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 32, reports him executed by firing squad in Limonar, Matanzas province on 10/23/1960. Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 88; and WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 85, report him executed by firing squad at la Rayonera Textile Mill on 10/23/1960.  L. González Infante, Rostros-Faces, p. 132, reports his date of death on October 23,1961. Beruvides, 1993, p. 116, reports him executed by firing squad at la Rayonera textile mill, the city of Matanzas on 4/19/1961. Beruvides, 1993, p. 116, reports him executed by firing squad at la Rayonera textile mill, the city of Matanzas on 4/19/1961; Beruvides, Anuario Histórico 1961, p. 24; Gómez Estrada, 1990, pp. 162-183; Encinosa, 1994, p. 49; and Conte Aguero, 1962, pp. 110-114 report his date of death on April 19, 1961. Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 88; and WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 85, report him executed by firing squad at la Rayonera Textile Mill on 10/23/1965.  WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 5; and Beruvides, 1993, p. 116, report him as Gerardo Fundora González, executed 7/19/1960 in Matanzas.  Encinosa, 1989, p. 145, reports him as Gerardo Fundora González, alias Gerardo Fundora Nuez, an anti-Castro insurgent and certified public accountant last living in Limonar, province of Matanzas, killed in combat in the province of Matanzas in 1962. Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, reports him executed by firing squad in Limonar in 1961.   Directorio Revolucionario Estudiantil, 1965, p. 20, reports him executed by firing squad in Matanzas.

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Execution: by firing squad

Occupations: - Construction and Extraction Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Gerardo Fundora Nuñez