Cuba Archive - Case 1190

Case ID: 1190

Title: Comandante

First name: Camilo

Last name: Cienfuegos Gorriarán

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 27

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:6 / Month:2 / Year:1932

Civil Status: Divorced / Separated

Date of death/disappearance: Day:28 / Month:10 / 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: Cuban airspace

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?: 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: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Charismatic Rebel Army Commander named head of the new Revolutionary Army after Batista fled the country. He reportedly disappeared with two others in a Cessna 310 bi-motor plane in  a flight from Camagüey to Havana. The plane was never found and it has long been suspected that the Castro brothers were behind the disappearance. A Sea Fury fighter plane piloted by Félix Torres took off minutes after the Cessna but the pilot soon died under mysterious circumstances. The mechanic who reported the plane had returned without its munition died that same day run over by a car. A witness who reported seeing a fighter jet attacking a small plane was taken to Havana for the investigation and never heard of again. Commander Cristino Naranjo, a friend of Camilo's who had initiated an investigation into his death, was shot dead. Finally, many years later, high-ranking Cuban defector Jaime Costa, former Rebel Army commander and an insider of the Castro circle, reported that he had witnessed the killing by order of Fidel Castro, who was also present together with Raul Castro and Juan Almeida (see video testimony in documentary film cited in Sources). 
Camilo was known for his anti-Communist conviction and had growing concerns about Communist infiltration of the Revolution. Reportedly, he opposed the mass executions being carried out primarily by Che Guevara and Raul Castro. His widespread popularity was also said to pose a challenge for Fidel Castro.
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Carismático comandante del Ejército Rebelde que fue nombrado jefe del nuevo Ejército Revolucionario después de que Batista huyera del país. Según los informes oficiales, desapareció con otras dos personas en un avión bimotor Cessna 310 que volaba de Camagüey a La Habana. El avión nunca fue encontrado y durante mucho tiempo se sospechaba que los hermanos Castro estaban detrás de la desaparición. Un avión de combate Sea Fury pilotado por Félix Torres despegó minutos después del Cessna, pero el piloto murió pronto en circunstancias misteriosas. El mecánico que informó que el avión había regresado sin municiónes murió ese mismo día atropellado por un automóvil. Un testigo que informó haber visto un avión de combate atacando una avioneta fue llevado a La Habana para la investigación y nunca más se supo de él. El comandante Cristino Naranjo, amigo de Camilo que había iniciado una investigación sobre su muerte, fue asesinado a tiros. Finalmente, muchos años después, el desertor cubano de alto rango Jaime Costa, excomandante del Ejército Rebelde y miembro del círculo de Castro, informó que había sido testigo del asesinato por orden de Fidel Castro, quien también estuvo presente junto con Raúl Castro y Juan Almeida. (ver testimonio en video en película documental citado en Fuentes).
Camilo era conocido por su convicción anticomunista y tenía crecientes preocupaciones sobre la infiltración comunista en la Revolución. Según se informa, se opuso a las ejecuciones en masa llevadas a cabo principalmente por el Che Guevara y Raúl Castro. También se dijo que su amplia popularidad representaba un desafío para Fidel Castro.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Disappearance: forced (suspected)

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Armed Forces: military or militia

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 1192: Félix Rodríguez - Case 1191: Luciano Fariñas Rodríguez

Case Record - Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán