Cuba Archive - Case 8511

Case ID: 8511

Title: N/A

First name: Fidencio Ramel

Last name: Prieto Hernández

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: �}Fidelio Ramel

Age: 51

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:13 / Year:1994

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: West Street, Building #5 Apartment #2 between 20 and 21 Streets, Reparto Guiteras

Last known city: Havana del Este

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: At sea: North

Location of death - city: N/A

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: No

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: State Security / Tugboat crews

Associated Event: 1994 Tugboat massacre

Case description:

Drowned, together with 36 men, women and children, while attempting to escape Cuba in the tugboat '13 de marzo' after it was intercepted and rammed by vessels commanded by Cuban authorities. His remains are missing; the Cuban government refused to return any recovered bodies to their families.
Chief of Operations at the port in Havana, he had worked for the Port of Havana for twenty five years, beginning as a stevedore and then training in Bulgaria as a naval machinist and later in naval painting in England. Over the years, he had risen in rank, and was eventually sent to Holland, where he brought back to Cuba ten Polish-made tugboats, including the three Polgargos that chased the "13 de Marzo." He was a longtime member of the Communist Party, Secretary of the Party at his workplace, and until shortly before his death, was head of the neighborhood watch group, the CDR, in his building. His two songs, Ivan and Daniel, accompanied him on the "13 de Marzo" and both survived. He left behind his wife, Esther.
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Se ahogó junto con 36 hombres, mujeres y niños, mientras intentaba escapar de Cuba en el remolcador '13 de marzo 'después de que fue interceptado y embestido por buques comandados por las autoridades cubanas. Sus restos faltan; el gobierno cubano se negó a devolver los cuerpos recuperados a sus familias.
Jefe de Operaciones en el puerto de La Habana, había trabajado para el Puerto de La Habana durante veinticinco años, comenzando como estibador y luego entrenando en Bulgaria como maquinista naval y más tarde en pintura naval en Inglaterra. A lo largo de los años, había ascendido en rango y finalmente fue enviado a Holanda, donde trajo a Cuba diez remolcadores polacos, incluidos los tres Polgargos que persiguieron el "13 de Marzo". Fue miembro del Partido Comunista, Secretario del Partido en su lugar de trabajo, y hasta poco antes de su muerte, fue jefe del grupo de vigilancia del vecindario, el CDR, en su edificio. Sus dos canciones, Iván y Daniel, lo acompañaron en el "13 de Marzo" y ambos sobrevivieron. Dejó atrás a su esposa, Esther.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing: in exit attempt

Occupations: - Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: - Communist Party of Cuba

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Fidencio Ramel Prieto Hernández