Cuba Archive - Case 9777

Case ID: 9777

Title: N/A

First name: José

Last name: Cuesta Herrera

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:30 / Month:9 / Year:1936

Civil Status: Married

Date of death/disappearance: Day:21 / Month:11 / Year:1958

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: Los Desengaños dairy farm

Last known city: Santa Lucía

Last known province-TOD: Camagüey

Last known province current: Camagüey

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Santa Lucía army barracks

Location of death - city: Santa Lucía

Location of death province - at TOD: Camagüey

Location of death province - current: Camagüey

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: Santa Lucía army barracks

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Batista regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Rancher at the Los Desengaños dairy farm of Santa Lucía caught in the middle of Batista government troops and the Rebel Army. He was arrested after a soldier was killed near the farm, taken to the Santa Lucía Army Barracks for interrogation, and assassinated with fellow farmhands José Cuesta and Miguel Sánchez, accused of supporting the rebels. Their bodies were dumped on the road the next day by the gate to La Amelia ranch, next to Los Desengaños. José had been tortured and his fingers cut off before his assassination, his body had a shot to the back. He left a wife, a 3 year-old son, a 1-year old daughter and a third child on the way.
The son of the owner of Los Desengaños, Adolfo Sanchez, then confronted the Batista soldiers and was shot and killed. After Batista fell from power, In January 1959 some of the soldiers were charged and executed.
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Ranchero en la granja lechera Los Desengaños en Santa Lucía, provincia de Camagüey, que fue atrapado en medio de las tropas del gobierno de Batista y el Ejército Rebelde. Fue arrestado después de que un soldado fuera asesinado cerca de la granja, llevado al cuartel del ejército de Santa Lucía para ser interrogado, y asesinado junto a sus compañeros José Cuestas y Miguel Sánchez, todos acusados de apoyar a los rebeldes. Sus cuerpos fueron arrojados a la carretera al día siguiente por la puerta del rancho La Amelia, al lado de Los Desengaños. José había sido torturado y le cortaron los dedos antes de su asesinato, su cuerpo tenía un tiro en la espalda. Dejó una esposa, un hijo de 3 años, una hija de 1 año y un tercer hijo en el camino.
El hijo del dueño de Los Desengaños, Adolfo Sánchez, se enfrentó a los soldados de Batista y fue asesinado. Después de que Batista cayera del poder, en enero de 1959 algunos de los soldados fueron acusados y ejecutados.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing

Occupations: - Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Civilian casualty / Bystander

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 10471: Miguel Sánchez - Case 9872: Juan Pantoja - Case 10472: Adolfo Oliverio Sánchez Agramonte

Case Record - José Cuesta Herrera