Cuba Archive - Case 778

Case ID: 778

Title: Lieutenant Coronel (Teniente C

First name: Rogelio

Last name: Sopo Barreto

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Rogelio Supo Barreto / Rogelio Soto Barreto

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:14 / Month:3 / Year:1959

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Hospital at the military base Columbia

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: Causa nro. 4 del 1959 del Estado Mayor General,

Sentence details: He had been absolved in the trial and the prosecutor had removed all charges against him.

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: Castillo del Morro prison

How long imprisoned/detained: Approx. 3 months

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

The Lieutenant Colonel and a doctor threw himself from the roof of the Castillo del Morro radio service booth, where he was detained in the naval prison, and died while being transported to Columbia Hospital. He had been acquitted in a military trial of on March 5, 1959 against 39 defendants related to an uprising in the city of Cienfuegos and of the Southern Naval District of September 5, 1957. On March 11th 1959, prosecutor Jaime Durán Badué had withdrawn the petition against him, considering him not responsible for any of the charges of "denial of assistance". General Order No. 16 of March 24, 1959, by the Chief of the General Staff of the Navy, Commander Juan M. Castiñeiras García, confirmed that Dr. Sopo had been acquitted of any responsibility. However, he was taken back to El Morro, where he had been detained since the first days of January, for further investigations, accused of acting as "official spokesman" of the Batista tyranny. In the early days of January 1959, he had rejected a neighbor's offer, as an official from the Spanish embassy, to help him leave the country; he considered that he had no reason to flee, had fulfilled his duty at all times, and had not committed any crimes.
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El médico y teniente coronel de la Marina se tiró de la azotea de la caseta del servicio de radio de Castillo del Morro, donde estaba detenido en la prisión naval. Murió al ser trasladado al Hospital de Columbia. Había sido absuelto de la causa nro. 4 del 1959 del Estado Mayor General, acusado del delito “negación de auxilio" durante la sublevación de la ciudad de Cienfuegos y del Distrito Naval del Sur del 5 de septiembre de 1957. El 11 de marzo 1959 el fiscal Jaime Durán Badué, había retirado su petición contra el acusado por considerarlo no responsable de ninguno de los cargos que se le imputaban. El 5 de marzo, en el Auditórium de la Marina de Guerra, había tenido lugar el Consejo de Guerra contra 39 acusados. En la Orden General No. 16 del 24 de marzo de 1959, el Capitán de Fragata Juan M. Castiñeiras García, jefe del Estado Mayor de la Marina de Guerra, confirmó: “Se declara NO RESPONSABLE al acusado Rogelio Sopo Barreto, absuelto libremente de toda responsabilidad que pudiera caberle en esta CAUSA”. Sin embargo, El Dr. Sopo fue conducido de vuelta al Morro, donde estaba detenido desde los primeros días de enero, sujeto a investigaciones por considerarlo "vocero oficial del régimen de la tiranía y "determinar el grado de responsabilidad que le correspondía.” Había rechazado la oferta de un vecino, funcionario de la embajada de España, de sacarlo del país por considerar que no tenía ningún motivo para huir, que en todo momento había cumplido con su deber y no había cometido ningún delito.”

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Suicide/Alleged Suicide

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations - Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Armed Forces: served Batista government

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Rogelio Sopo Barreto