Cuba Archive - Case 2653

Case ID: 2653

Title: N/A

First name: Teresita

Last name: Saavedra Pérez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Teresita

Name also reported as: Teresa Pérez

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:21 / Month:4 / Year:1961

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Sancti Spíritus

Last known province-TOD: Las Villas

Last known province current: Sancti Spíritus

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Her home

Location of death - city: Sancti Spíritus

Location of death province - at TOD: Las Villas

Location of death province - current: Sancti Spíritus

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: Captain Bernardo Arias Castillo, Chief of State Security in Sancti Spíritus,

Associated Event: Anti-Castro insurgency/resistance

Case description:

Catholic student leader who had joined the underground resistance against the Castro regime. The area (Sancti Spíritus) chief for State Security, Captain Bernardo Arias Castillo, had devised a plot to inform on her activities by which one of his agents befriended Teresita, feigned to share her values and faith and became her boyfriend. She was eventually arrested, taken to the State Security headquarters of Santa Clara and subjected to interrogations. Kept naked, her boyfriend was brought in to mock her. After she was drugged and raped by five agents (she had been a virgin), she was left on a city bus, barely conscious. Recovering at home, two days later from a window she saw Captain Arias approaching her house.  She set herself on fire with kerosene oil, fearing an impending second arrest. She died in agony several days later.
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Líder estudiantil católica que se había unido a la resistencia clandestina contra el régimen de Castro. El jefe de Seguridad del Estado del área (Sancti Spíritus), capitán Bernardo Arias Castillo, había ideado un complot para informar sobre sus actividades mediante el cual uno de sus agentes se hizo amigo de Teresita, fingió compartir sus valores y fe y se convirtió en su novio. Finalmente fue detenida, trasladada a la sede de la Seguridad del Estado de Santa Clara y sometida a interrogatorios. Mantenida desnuda, trajeron a su novio para burlarse de ella. Luego de ser drogada y violada por cinco agentes (había sido virgen), la dejaron en un autobús urbano, apenas consciente. Recuperándose en casa, dos días después desde una ventana vio al Capitán Arias acercándose a su casa. Se prendió fuego con aceite de queroseno, temiendo una inminente segunda detención. Murió en agonía varios días después.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Suicide/Alleged Suicide

Occupations: - Office and Administrative Support Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: - Asociación de Estudiantes Católicos Parroquia de la Caridad

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Teresita Saavedra Pérez