Cuba Archive - Case 6850

Case ID: 6850

Title: N/A

First name: César

Last name: Paez Sánchez

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: César de la Paz Sánchez, Cesar Paez, Cesar Perez

Age: 30

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:9 / Month:11 / Year:1977

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Placetas

Last known province-TOD: Las Villas

Last known province current: Las Villas

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Military Hospital / Combinado del Este 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?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Military Hospital / Combinado del Este prison

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

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

Case description:

Paez had been a Commander of the Rebel Army in the fight against Batista. He had then turned against the Communist takeover, had joined the opposition, and had eventually joined the armed insurgency and led an Escambray guerrilla group. Captured by Castro government forces in May 1961 (turned in by a nurse in the city of Fomento), he was sentenced to thirty years in prison. He was among the political prisoners tortured in the forced labor camps of Isla de Pinos (Isle of Pines) prison and was kept in isolation in ward #23 (galera #23). According to fellow prisoners, three months before suddenly falling ill, in July 1975, he and other prisoners from ward #23 had been taken to the prison infirmary allegedly for a routine check-up that included blood tests. Fellow prisoners suspect he had been injected with a strange substance by prison doctors and denied medical attention to allow the disease to progress. Three months later, Paez developed hives all over his body and his gums became inflamed. The prison dentist told him he had a disease known only to afflict horses and impossible to contract in prison. Paez asked to see the military doctor in charge, Dr. Campos, who told him the diagnosis had been an error, and the dentist was transferred from the prison. Paez's condition worsened consistently, but he was denied medical treatment. In December 1975, fellow prisoners staged a protest demanding his medical treatment. He was transferred to the Military Hospital and kept in an isolation cell for three months. Only his parents were allowed to see him once a week, and they found him to be very ill. Fellow prisoners were told he had leukemia but had been treated and had recovered. Paez was returned to the prison, and his condition continued to worsen. Months later, his family was told he would be released for medical reasons if he accepted the (political) "rehabilitation" plan, which he refused. (Prisoners are commonly placed on home medical leave when they are considered near death.) As his condition worsened, he was taken to the Military Hospital on October 26, 1977, supposedly to treat pneumonia. He reportedly died days later, at around 30 years of age. He was divorced (from an American wife) and left a son.
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Páez, había dirigido un grupo guerrillero del Escambray, fue capturado y condenado a treinta años de prisión. Estuvo entre los presos políticos torturados en los campos de trabajos forzados de la prisión de Isla de Pinos y fue mantenido en aislamiento en el Pabellón # 23. Según otros presos, tres meses antes de enfermarse repentinamente, en julio de 1975, él y otros presos del pabellón 23 habían sido llevados a la enfermería de la prisión supuestamente para un chequeo de rutina que incluía análisis de sangre. Los compañeros sospechan que los médicos de la prisión le inyectaron una sustancia extraña y le negaron atención médica para permitir que la enfermedad progresara. Tres meses después, Páez desarrolló urticaria en todo el cuerpo y sus encías se inflamaron. Lo llevaron a ver al dentista de la prisión, quien le dijo que tenía una enfermedad que solo afectaba a los caballos y que era imposible contraer en prisión. Páez pidió ver al médico militar a cargo, Dr. Campos, quien le dijo que el diagnóstico había sido un error. El dentista pronto fue trasladado. La condición de Páez empeoró constantemente, pero se le negó tratamiento médico. En diciembre de 1975, otros presos organizaron una protesta exigiendo que se le diera tratamiento médico. Fue trasladado al Hospital Militar y mantenido en una celda, en aislamiento, durante tres meses. Solo sus padres podían verlo una vez a la semana y lo encontraron muy enfermo. A los compañeros de prisión se les dijo que tenía leucemia, pero que había sido tratado y se había recuperado. Páez fue devuelto a la prisión y su estado siguió empeorando. Meses después, le dijeron a su familia que sería puesto en libertad por motivos médicos si aceptaba el plan (político) de "rehabilitación", pero él lo rechazó. (Los presos suelen ser puestos en licencia médica domiciliaria cuando se los considera cercanos a la muerte). A medida que su condición empeoraba, lo llevaron al Hospital Militar el 26 de octubre de 1977, supuestamente para tratar una neumonía. Según los informes, murió días después, alrededor de los 30 años. Se divorció (de una esposa estadounidense) y dejó un hijo.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 80; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 67, report a Dr. Cesar Perez dying in prison in Camaguey on October 1, 1965 for unreported reasons. Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 80; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 67, report a Dr. Cesar Perez dying in prison in Camaguey on October 1, 1965 for unreported reasons. Ruíz, 1972, p. 48, reports a Cesar Perez killed in combat on March 3, 1961 against Escambray guerrillas during the first Escambray 'limpia' (search and destroy operation). Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 93, reports him dying in Santa Clara on Novemebr 9, 1977. Beruvides, 1993, p. 154; WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 84; Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 88; Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 62, report a Cesar Paez assassinated by State Security agents on October 21, 1968 while under arrest in Victoria de Las Tunas; and also one last living in Victoria de las Tunas, province of Oriente (now Las Tunas), with the same circumstances of death.  Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994 reports a Cesar Paez  assassinated in prison. Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 62, reports a Cesar Paez  executed by firing squad at Victoria de Las Tunas, province of Oriente in October 1968.

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Medical condition/Denial of medical care

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Political cause

Affiliations: - Movimiento Revolucionario 30 de Noviembre Frank País

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - César Paez Sánchez