Cuba Archive - Case 8392

Case ID: 8392

Title: N/A

First name: Mario

Last name: Horta Díaz

Suffix: Jr.

Aliases: Mayito

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 19

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:23 / Month:5 / Year:1974

Civil Status: Single

Date of death/disappearance: Day:1 / Month:7 / Year:1993

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: Ulasia #102 entre Pasaje García y Río, Reparto Juanelo, San Miguel de Padrón

Last known city: La Habana

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Cojímar beach

Location of death province - at TOD: La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: N/A

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: FAR (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias) Border Guard / Navy

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Mario was not allowed to work or study and had been refused to serve the obligatory military service after stating he wanted to leave the country. Six to eight months later, he went to Cojímar beach, near Havana, where boats would come from Florida at night to fetch family and friends; sometimes, others wanting to escape Cuba could seize the opportunity. As Mario presumably planned to, or attempted to, swim towards the boat 'Midnight Express,' around 11pm, he was shot by border guards. His body had a very large gunshot to the stomach (as if shot at close range), shots to the thighs, and a deep blow to the right forehead (as if hit by a rifle). A death certificate was never provided to his family, instead, authorities gave them a piece of paper indicating the date, but no cause, of death. Two other youngsters were also killed that night and seven injured, apparently in the same incident, although they did not know each other. Witnesses refused to talk to the three families that were forbidden from talking or contacting each other.
Government authorities went to fetch Mario’s mother at her house and took her to the morgue ("Medicina Legal") to identify the body. There, a State Security agent offered her a house and other benefits if she cooperated with the official explanation that her son had been a hero of the revolution killed by smugglers, rather than an escapee. She refused and later heard this was a usual practice and that some families did cooperate. 
Mario’s mother was removed from her job as a computer system analyst at the Council of State, was never allowed to work again, and was forbidden from leaving the country. Twenty years later, she managed to leave via Mexico, in 2013, and lives in Florida.
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Mario había declarado que quería salir del país durante una entrevista antes de entrar en el servicio militar obligatorio. Como resultado, no fue reclutado ni autorizado a trabajar o estudiar. El 1 de julio de 1993 fue a la playa de Cojímar, cerca de La Habana, para intentar escapar de Cuba. Habían barcos provenientes de Florida durante la noche para buscar a familiares y amigos y, a veces, otros podrían aprovechar esa oportunidad. Mario presumiblemente trató de nadar hacia el barco 'Midnight Express', alrededor de las 11 pm, fue asesinado a balazos por guardias fronterizos. Su cuerpo tenía un orificio muy grande en el estómago (como resultado de un disparo a corta distancia), balazos en los muslos, y un golpe profundo en la frente derecha (como si lo hubieran golpeado con la culata de un rifle). En lugar de un certificado de defunción, a la familia se le dio un pedazo de papel con la fecha y sin causa de muerte. Su madre rechazó una oferta por la Seguridad del Estado de una casa y otros beneficios a cambio de confirmar la versión oficial de que su hijo había sido asesinado por contrabandistas. Ella fue retirada de su trabajo, nunca se le permitió trabajar de nuevo, y se le prohibió salir del país. Veinte años después, en 2013, logró salir de Cuba y ahora vive en la Florida. Alfredo Caballín y Loamis González, otros dos jóvenes que no se conocían, también fueron asesinados esa noche. A las tres familias se les prohibió ponerse en contacto y los testigos se negaron a hablar.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing: in exit attempt

Occupations: - Not in the labor force

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 8391: Loamis González Manzini - Case 8254: Alfredo Evelio Caballín Marín

Case Record - Mario Horta Díaz