Cuba Archive - Case 6658

Case ID: 6658

Title: N/A

First name: Pedro Luis

Last name: Boitel Abraham

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 41

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:13 / Month:5 / Year:1931

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:25 / Month:5 / Year:1972

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: Jovellar 155, Apto. 5

Last known city: Havana

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Castillo El Príncipe (Prince Castle) 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: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: Day:23 / Month:11 / Year:1960

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Rest. Mr. Lucky, Havan

How long imprisoned/detained: 12 years

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Political prisoner who died in a hunger strike. Boitel had been a university student leader active in the opposition to the Batista dictatorship and national director of the radio plant of the 26th of July Movement headed by Fidel Castro. He turned against the Castro brothers for hijacking the democratic process and founded the opposition group MRR (Movement for Revolutionary Reclamation). Sentenced to 10 years of prison for counter-revolutionary activities, he was subjected to tortures, beatings, abuses, and the extension of his sentence. He went on numerous hunger strikes with fellow prisoners to protest executions and inhumane prison conditions and to demand the rights of political prisoners. He died on day 53 of a hunger strike after prison authorities denied him medical care as his condition became critical and fellow prisoners called for an intervention. In a coma, he was taken from his cell and the care of fellow prisoners and transferred to the penitentiary&#8217;s clinic, where he received no medical attention and was ill-treated, dying alone a few hours later. After his death, his widowed mother was taken to a State Security facility, cruelly informed of his death, and subjected to physical violence. Telephone and electricity to her house were cut off when she returned home that night and she was isolated. Five days later she was allowed to visit her son's alleged grave with some women friends, but they were surrounded by an angry mob that threatened them with violence and forced them to leave without even saying a prayer.
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Preso político que murió en huelga de hambre. Boitel había sido un líder universitario activo en la oposición a la dictadura de Batista y director nacional de la planta de radio del Movimiento 26 de Julio encabezado por Fidel Castro. Se volvió contra los hermanos Castro por secuestrar el proceso democrático y fundó el grupo de oposición MRR (Movimiento de Recuperación Revolucionaria). Condenado a 10 años de prisión por actividades contrarrevolucionarias, fue sometido a torturas, golpizas, abusos y prórroga de su condena. Hizo numerosas huelgas de hambre con sus compañeros de prisión para protestar contra las ejecuciones y las inhumanas condiciones carcelarias y para exigir los derechos de los presos políticos. Murió el día 53 de una huelga de hambre después de que las autoridades de la prisión le negaran atención médica ya que su estado se volvió crítico y sus compañeros de prisión pidieron una intervención. En coma, fue sacado de su celda y al cuidado de sus compañeros de prisión y trasladado a la clínica penitenciaria, donde no recibió atención médica y fue maltratado, muriendo solo unas horas después. Tras su muerte, su madre viuda fue trasladada a un centro de la Seguridad del Estado, cruelmente informada de su muerte y sometida a violencia física. El teléfono y la electricidad de su casa fueron cortados cuando regresó a casa esa noche y quedó aislada. Cinco días después se le permitió visitar la supuesta tumba de su hijo con algunas amigas, pero fueron rodeadas por una turba enfurecida que las amenazó con violencia y las obligó a irse sin ni siquiera rezar.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Hunger strike

Occupations: - Architecture and Engineering Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Political cause

Affiliations: - MRR (Movimiento de Recuperación Revolucionaria)

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Pedro Luis Boitel Abraham