Cuba Archive - Case 48

Case ID: 48

Title: N/A

First name: Nelson

Last name: Linares García

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 34

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:9 / Month:9 / Year:2011

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: La Habana

Last known province-TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Police Station at Zanja & Dragones streets

Location of death - city: La Habana

Location of death province - at TOD: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: Day:8 / Month:9 / Year:2011

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Dragones Police Station

How long imprisoned/detained: Several hours

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: LGBT or HIV/Aids patient

Case description:

Nelson had been arrested in a late night raid along with about a dozen of homosexuals, transvestites and transsexuals in Fraternity Park in Old Havana. He died while under detention the following day at around 2PM. A doctor certified  "acute respiratory arrest" as the cause of death, but the authorities did not conduct an autopsy.  His friends informed the police repeatedly that he had hypertension but they did not pay attention or provide treatment.
The police told the family that he had died at a clinic, but the doctor told them he had arrived dead. 
Nelson was employed as a cleaning staff at a state-run food facility.
State Security officers were posted at the Bernardo Abreu Funeral Home ( Zanja, street), where the wake was held) and at the Colón cemetery during the burial. Sources inside Cuba reported that in weeks prior to and after the incident repeated police raids on LGBT meeting at several sites in Havana and increased repression of LGBT activists in locations of northern and eastern Cuba.
LGBT activists in Cuba have continued to demand an official explanation and an investigation. Reportedly, an autopsy was not ordered. But, if an autopsy was actually performed, results have been kept from the family.
The head of the human rights group Observatory of LGBT Rights (Observatorio de Derechos, Leannes Imbert, issued a statement that "the gay community condemns this death and holds the Cuban regime responsible."
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Nelson había sido arrestado en una redada nocturna junto con una docena de homosexuales, travestis y transexuales en el Parque de la Fraternidad en La Habana Vieja. Murió mientras estaba detenido al día siguiente alrededor de las 2 p.m. Un médico certificó "paro respiratorio agudo" como la causa de la muerte, pero las autoridades no realizaron una autopsia. Sus amigos informaron repetidamente a la policía que tenía hipertensión, pero no le prestaron atención ni le brindaron tratamiento. La policía le dijo a la familia que había muerto en una clínica, pero el médico les dijo que había llegado muerto. Nelson trabajaba como personal de limpieza en una instalación de alimentos estatal.
Agentes de la Seguridad del Estado se apostaron en la Funeraria Bernardo Abreu (calle Zanja, donde se realizó el velorio) y en el cementerio de Colón durante el entierro. Fuentes internas de Cuba informaron que semanas antes y después del incidente se repitieron las redadas policiales en reuniones LGBT en varios sitios de La Habana y se incrementó la represión de activistas LGBT en lugares del norte y este de Cuba. Los activistas LGBT en Cuba han seguido exigiendo una explicación oficial y una investigación. Según se informa, no se ordenó una autopsia. Pero, si realmente se realizó, los resultados se han ocultado a la familia. La jefa del grupo de derechos humanos Observatorio de Derechos, Leannes Imbert, emitió un comunicado que "la comunidad gay condena esta muerte y responsabiliza al régimen cubano".

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing, possible/suspected

Occupations: N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Non-political cause

Affiliations: - Transexual (LGBT)

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Nelson Linares García