Cuba Archive - Case 61

Case ID: 61

Title: N/A

First name: Ulicez

Last name: Claro Peña

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Ulices Claro Peña

Age: 32

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:20 / Month:5 / Year:1986

Civil Status: Divorced / Separated

Date of death/disappearance: Day:11 / Month:11 / Year:2022

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Holguín

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Kilo 8 maximum security prison

Location of death - city: Camaguey

Location of death province - at TOD: Camagüey

Location of death province - current: Camagüey

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: 23 years

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: Day:22 / Month:11 / Year:2010

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Kilo 8 prison, Camaguey

How long imprisoned/detained: Almost 12 years

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: Prison guards

Associated Event: Body tampering/missing parts/family denied remains

Case description:

A common prisoner known for protesting against abuses by prison guards and arguing with them. His father, who was apparently elderly and infirm, had gone to visit from Holguin, so he asked the guards to allow him to leave earlier, before the collective visit ended, for him to make it back home not too late. The guards refused and an argument ensued. Later that day, they beat him. A political prisoner at the prison reported that his loud screams were heard before he was dragged down the corridor, bleeding, to a punishment cell. The prison reported that he had hung himself the following morning.  Prisoners in punishment cells are not allowed to have clothing or anything they can use to commit suicide. The family was not allowed to see the body at the morgue, someone else took photos without permission and gave them to her. His dead body had multiple bruises and a large frontal vertical wound with stutures; they told his mother that they had operated on him to remove blood clots. The mother thinks his organs were removed and reports not having given permission to operate on him or perform an autopsy. An open coffin at the funeral was not allowed and State Security has threatened his mother, demanding silence. Ulicez had been sentenced to 23 years of prison reportedly for a crime of passion, for threatening to kill his wife, who died of a heart attack.
---- 
Preso común que era contestatario en la prisión y protestaba contra los abusos a los presos. Su padre fue a la visita y venía de lejos, estaba enfermo, por lo que él pidió que lo dejaran irse antes de terminar la visita colectiva, ya que tenía que viajar de vuelta a casa en Holguín. Los guardias no quisieron y surgió una discusión. Luego le entraron a golpes. Un preso de 11J denunció que se escuchaban los gritos antes de que lo llevaran arrastrado por el pasillo, sangrando, hacia una celda de castigo.. Se reportó a la mañana siguiente que se había ahorcado. Los presos en celda de castigo no se supone que tengan ropa ni nada que puedan usar para suicidarse. No dejaron a la familia verlo en la morgue, otra persona tomó las fotos sin permiso. Le dijeron a su madre que lo habían operado para sacarle coágulos, pero piensa que le sacaron los órganos. No había dado permiso para operarlo ni para una autopsia.  No dejaban abrir el féretro, pero la madre igual lo hizo o quiso hacerlo. La Seguridad de Estado la tiene amenazada.
Estaba preso, sentenciado a 23 años, por un crimen pasional (su mujer falleció de un ataque cardíaco después que el amenazó con matarla).

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 - Ulicez Claro Peña