Cuba Archive - Case 1759

Case ID: 1759

Title: N/A

First name: N/A (Brother #1)

Last name: Tapia

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Single

Date of death/disappearance: Month:9 / Year:1958

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: Arrocera El Cimarrón

Last known city: Vertientes

Last known province-TOD: Camagüey

Last known province current: Camagüey

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Arrocera El Cimarrón

Location of death - city: South of Vertientes

Location of death province - at TOD: Camagüey

Location of death province - current: Camagüey

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: A shed at the farm

How long imprisoned/detained: Hours

Death attributed to: Anti-Batista Resistance / Rebel Army

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

Ché Guevara had marched west towwards the Escambray mountains to open a new front against the Batista regime. The march took him across the southern coast of Camagüey, where he made camp at a rice farm for several days. Soon after the arrival of the rebel troop, two brothers who worked as tractor drivers at the farm were accused of snitching. Some of the workers agreed to testify against them and a tribunal was formed with Ché presiding. After a very brief trial, Ché ordered the two tied kept prisoner. A sentence was not announced, but that night the farm&#8217;s caretaker heard machine-gun fire. The next morning, he found the bodies of the brothers, who had been buried hastily in a very shallow grave. Wild hogs had dug up the grave at night and eaten their intestines. The old man chastised Ché Guevara, who laughed it off, put the bodies in a truck with his son&#8217;s help and buried them under a tree in a nearby field. Several weeks later, long after Che had left, he arranged for someone to notify the parents and lead them to the burial ground. The brothers were between 26 and 30 years of age. A photo of the older one is posted here.
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Ché Guevara había marchado hacia el oeste remolcando las montañas del Escambray para abrir un nuevo frente contra el régimen de Batista. La marcha lo llevó a través de la costa sur de Camagüey, donde acampó en una granja de arroz durante varios días. Poco después de la llegada de la tropa rebelde, dos hermanos que trabajaban como conductores de tractores en la granja fueron acusados ??de hacer un puñetazo. Algunos de los trabajadores aceptaron testificar contra ellos y se formó un tribunal con la presidencia de Ché. Después de un juicio muy breve, Ché ordenó a los dos mantenidos prisioneros. No se anunció una sentencia, pero esa noche el vigilante de la granja escuchó un fuego de ametralladora. A la mañana siguiente, encontró los cuerpos de los hermanos, que habían sido enterrados apresuradamente en una tumba muy poco profunda. Los cerdos salvajes habían cavado la tumba por la noche y comido sus intestinos. El viejo castigó a Ché Guevara, quien se rió de él, puso los cuerpos en un camión con la ayuda de su hijo y los enterró bajo un árbol en un campo cercano. Varias semanas más tarde, mucho después de que Che se hubiese marchado, arregló que alguien notificara a los padres y los llevara al cementerio. Los hermanos tenían entre 26 y 30 años de edad. Una foto de la más vieja se publica aquí.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Execution

Occupations: - Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: - Brother/Sister in Case 1368: N/A (Brother #2) Tapia

Victim Type: - Collaborator / informant / paramilitary (political)

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - N/A (Brother #1) Tapia