Cuba Archive - Case 6019

Case ID: 6019

Title: N/A

First name: Ángel María

Last name: Betancourt Cueto

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Ángel María Betancourt

Age: 33

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:2 / Month:8 / Year:1932

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:15 / Month:6 / Year:1966

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Rancho Boyeros

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: 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: 141 of 1966

Sentence details: N/A

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: N/A

Case description:

On 27 March 1966, Betancourt hijacked a Cubana flight from Santiago to Havana but was fooled by the pilot, who landed the plane in Havana. Furious, Betancourt killed the pilot and the security guard, wounded the co-pilot seriously and fled through a window. After a manhunt, he was captured on 11 april 1966. A police informer, Gerardo Pérez, gave him away and accused father Miguel Angel Loredo García, parish priest in San Francisco convent in Havana Vieja of hiding Betancourt. Father Loredo served a 10-year prison term for this episode while always maintaining his innocence. Betancourt was shot by firing squad.
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El 27 de marzo de 1966, Betancourt secuestró un vuelo de Cubana de Aviación de Santiago a La Habana, pero fue engañado por el piloto, que aterrizó el avión en La Habana. Furioso, Betancourt mató al piloto y al guardia de seguridad, hirió gravemente al copiloto y huyó a través de una ventana. Fue capturado el 11 de abril de 1966. Un informante de la policía, Gerardo Pérez, lo entregó y acusó al padre Miguel Ángel Loredo García, párroco en el convento de San Francisco en La Habana Vieja de ocultar a Betancourt. El padre Loredo cumplió una condena de 10 años de prisión por este episodio, manteniendo siempre su inocencia. Betancourt fue fusilado.

Sources:

United States Information Agency, 1993, Year 1966. Loredo and Pérez Diez Arguelles. 1988, pp. 44-58. Ros, 1998, pp. 332-337. Beruvides, 1993, p. 93. Gómez Estrada, 1980, p. 157. Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994. WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 65. Nuestra Cuba, 1999, p. 43. Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 62. Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 12. Written testimony of brother-in-law, Memorial Cubano, Feb. 18, 2007. Written testimony of friend, Memorial Cubano, Feb. 20, 2005. Photo with notes from the archive of former political prisoner Abel Nieves Morales. United States Information Agency, 1993, Year 1966. Loredo and Pérez Diez Arguelles. 1988, pp. 44-58. Ros, 1998, pp. 332-337. Beruvides, 1993, p. 93. Gómez Estrada, 1980, p. 157. Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994. WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 65. Nuestra Cuba, 1999, p. 43. Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 62. Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 12. Photo courtesy of Juan Abreu.Efemérides Cubanas, http://www.ueppc.com/?page_id=4178.

Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Execution: by firing squad

Occupations: - Architecture and Engineering Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 11080: Edor de los Reyes Martínez Arias - Case 11081: Fernando Alvarez Pérez

Case Record - Ángel María Betancourt Cueto