Cuba Archive - Case 2710

Case ID: 2710

Title: N/A

First name: Lyanella Georgina

Last name: Alvarez Pérez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 24

Gender: Female

Date of Birth: Day:9 / Month:12 / Year:1970

Civil Status: Unknown

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

Citizenship: N/A

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

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: Camagüey

Last known province current: Camagüey

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Left from Vertientes

Location of death - city: N/A

Location of death province - at TOD: Camagüey

Location of death province - current: Camagüey

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:

Lyanella had first attempted to leave with her brother and some friends on August 3, 1994, from Vertientes, in the southern coast of Camaguey. They were reported to authorities, stopped by Cuban Border Guard vessels, their two fishing boats confiscated, and the men were detained for three days. On Sept. 4, 1994 she left again (with her brother 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 was 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.
==================================================
Lyanella había intentado irse por primera vez con su hermano y algunos amigos el 3 de agosto de 1994, desde Vertientes, en la costa sur de Camagüey. Fueron denunciados a las autoridades, detenidos por embarcaciones de la Guardia Fronteriza cubana, sus dos barcos pesqueros confiscados y los hombres fueron detenidos durante tres días. El 4 de septiembre de 1994 partió nuevamente (con su hermano y otros cuatro 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 los fallecidos había sido enterrados 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 llevar los restos a Camagüey ni hablar con el sobreviviente, quien posteriormente regresó a Camagüey pero se negó a verlos y abandonó la ciudad después de que 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: in exit attempt - forced (suspected)

Occupations: N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: - Brother/Sister in Case 2120: Guillermo de Jesús Alvarez Pérez

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 2120: Guillermo de Jesús Alvarez Pérez

Case Record - Lyanella Georgina Alvarez Pérez