Cuba Archive - Case 3935

Case ID: 3935

Title: Teniente

First name: Antonio

Last name: Chao Flores

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Tony el americanito (The young American), Tony

Name also reported as: Antonio Chacón Flores

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:8 / Month:11 / Year:1962

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: La Vibora

Last known city: Diez de Octubre

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: 532 of 1961

Sentence details: Capital punishment

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: La Cabaña Fortress prison

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: Anti-Castro insurgency - Escambray uprising

Case description:

Chao had joined the Rebel Army against Batista when he was very young. When the revolution came to power, he realized it had been hijacked and again took arms, this time against the Castro regime. He was a supplier for the Escambray guerrillas charged with sabotaging an oil refinery in Havana's harbor. Captured, his prosecutor was the infamous Fernando Flores Ibarra (alias 'Charco de sangre' ('Puddle of blood') who was later named Cuban Ambassador to Chile. Before his execution, Tony refused confession and last religious rites, declaring he wanted to go to hell so that he could fight Castroite communists in hell for eternity. He had lost a leg in the shootout when he had been captured by revolutionary police in Havana on November 1961. 
According to fellow prisoners, as he was led to his execution at night, they heard laughing and mocking: "Drag yourself, imperialist worm, traitor"; and other insults. Soon, they heard the firing squad volley followed by three shots (the customary finishing deathblows). They later learned that the chants had come from the rabid crowd customarily invited to witness the executions and Chao's crutches had been taken before he reached the execution pole so he had to drag himself. He had been unable to respond to the taunts, as he had been silenced with a mouth gag.
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Chao se había unido al ejército rebelde contra Batista cuando era muy joven. Pero, cuando la revolución llegó al poder, se dio cuenta de que había sido traicionada y nuevamente tomó las armas, esta vez contra el régimen de Castro. Proveedor de la guerrilla del Escambray fue acusado de sabotear una refinería de petróleo en el puerto de La Habana. El fiscal fue el infame Fernando Flores Ibarra (alias 'Charco de sangre'), quien más tarde fue nombrado Embajador de Cuba en Chile. Antes de su ejecución, Tony rechazó la confesión y los últimos ritos religiosos, declarando que quería irse al infierno. para poder luchar contra los comunistas castristas en el infierno por toda la eternidad. Había perdido una pierna en el tiroteo cuando fue capturado en La Habana en noviembre de 1961.
Según los compañeros de prisión cuando fue llevado a su ejecución en la noche, escucharon risas y burlas: "Arrastrate, gusano imperialista, traidor"; Y otros insultos. Pronto, escucharon la volea del escuadrón de fusilamiento seguido de tres disparos (los habituales tiros de gracia). Más tarde se enteraron de que las risas e insultos provenían de la multitud rabiosa que habitualmente se invitaba a presenciar las ejecuciones y que se habían llevado las muletas de Chao antes de que llegara al lugar de su ejecución, por lo que tuvo que arrastrarse. No había podido responder a las burlas, ya que había sido silenciado con una mordaza en la boca.

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: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: - Former Rebel Army Lieutenant who served in the Escambrary Second Front under Comandante William Morgan

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Antonio Chao Flores