Cuba Archive - Case 306

Case ID: 306

Title: N/A

First name: Ariel

Last name: Lima Lago

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Abel Lima Lago

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:18 / Month:2 / Year:1959

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: Reparto Almendares, Marianao

Last known city: Havana

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: La Cabaña Fortress prison

Location of death - city: Havana

Location of death province - at TOD: La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: Capital punishment

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Pinar del Río

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: Ché Guevara and Raúl Castro

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Ariel joined the 26th of July movement against Batista when he was 17. In mid-1958, he was captured by police and forced to inform on his co-conspirators (reportedly after they told him they would rape his mother). When shown the evidence of communist infiltration of the 26th of July movement, he began to collaborate with police. When the revolutionary government came to power, Ariel was arrested as he was looking for a boat to flee the island.  At La Cabaña prison, a revolutionary tribunal sentenced him to death. The chaplain of La Cabaña pled on his behalf with Ché Guevara, who was in charge of the prison and of the tribunal. But, at his appeal hearing a few days later, Ché ratified the sentence. Ariel's mother threw herself on the floor and begged Ché for his life. Mockingly, he told her to talk to the priest, who "was a master at consoling people." She was, however, later led to believe one evening that he would not be executed, yet, the next morning the family was shocked to find news of his execution in the newspaper. Guevara was traveling outside of Cuba when he was executed. Two years later, Ariel's younger brother, José Antonio, was apprehended and, though only 16, was accused of counter-revolutionary activities and sentenced to 12 years of prison.
==============================================================
Ariel se unió al movimiento del 26 de julio contra Batista cuando tenía 17 años. A mediados de 1958, fue capturado por la policía y obligado a informar sobre sus co-conspiradores (según informes después de que le dijeran que violarían a su madre). Al mostrarle la evidencia de la infiltración comunista en el 26 de julio, comenzó a colaborar con la policía. Cuando el gobierno revolucionario llegó al poder, Ariel fue arrestado mientras buscaba un barco para huir de la isla. En la prisión de La Cabaña, un tribunal revolucionario lo condenó a muerte. El capellán de La Cabaña pidió al Ché Guevara, encargado de la prisión y del tribunal, que le perdonara la vida. Pero, en la audiencia de apelación, unos días después, Ché ratificó la sentencia. La madre de Ariel se tiró al piso y rogó a Ché por su vida. Burlonamente, él le dijo que hablara con el sacerdote, que "tenía experiencia en consolar a la gente." Más tarde, sin embargo le hicieron creer una noche que no lo ejecutarían, pero a la mañana siguiente la familia se sorprendió al encontrar noticias de su ejecución en el periódico. . Guevara se encontraba de viaje fuera de Cuba cuando fue fusilado. Dos años después, el hermano menor de Ariel, José Antonio, fue detenido y, aunque solo tenía 16 años, fue acusado de actividades contrarrevolucionarias y condenado a 12 años de prisión.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Execution: by firing squad

Occupations: N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Collaborator / informant / paramilitary (political)

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Ariel Lima Lago