Cuba Archive - Case 5849

Case ID: 5849

Title: N/A

First name: Alejandro

Last name: Pupo Echemendía

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 46

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Married

Date of death/disappearance: Day:9 / Month:8 / Year:2018

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Placetas

Last known province-TOD: Villa Clara

Last known province current: Villa Clara

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Police Station

Location of death - city: Placetas

Location of death province - at TOD: Villa Clara

Location of death province - current: Villa Clara

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:7 / Month:8 / Year:2018

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Placetas Police Station, Villa Clara

How long imprisoned/detained: 2 days

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: Police

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Alejandro Pupo was murdered by prison guards at a police station in Placetas, Villa Clara province. He had been arrested two days earlier on charges of illicit horse racing. According to a fellow detainee, Abel Santiago Tamayo, he was having a nervous breakdown when a police officer handcuffed him and several policemen proceeded to beat him with nightsticks and clubs and kicked him after throwing him to the ground. Prison authorities only fetched the lifeless body after fellow detainees complained. Taken to a hospital, Pupo was pronounced dead on arrival. The body was kept under lock, but the family insisted on viewing it and saw multiple signs of trauma. The funeral was held with heavy police presence and three human rights’ activists who tried to attend were not allowed.

A fellow detainee who witnessed the killing and the victim’s wife and niece denounced the assassination by video through a leading human rights’ activist from Placetas, Jorge Luis García Pérez, known as Antúnez. Antúnez posted on social media videos of the testimonies and photos of the body showing an injury in one arm and large bruises on the back.

On August 21st, the eyewitness was threatened by authorities and forced to claim on video that Antúnez had manipulated him, however he did not take back his account and later explained (also on video) that State Security had taken him to a safehouse and was forcing him to recant. On August 22nd, Pupo’s niece and her husband were detained, threatened by State Security, and forced to film a denial. Their 4-year old child was pushed and scratched during their arrest; the boy was traumatized as a result.

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Estaba detenido en la estación de policía de Placetas, Villa Clara, mientras era investigado por un supuesto delito relacionado con carreras ilícitas de caballos. Murió tras haber recibido una fuerte golpiza de parte de agentes de la policía.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing

Occupations: - N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

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

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Alejandro Pupo Echemendía