Cuba Archive - Case 2817

Case ID: 2817

Title: Sargento

First name: Roberto

Last name: Pérez Cruzata

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: Roberto Pérez Cruzar

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:1 / Month:9 / Year:1931

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:9 / Month:8 / Year:1961

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: N/A

Location death-address: Santa Clara Cemetery

Location of death - city: Santa Clara

Location of death province - at TOD: Las Villas

Location of death province - current: Villa Clara

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: 833 of 1961

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: Yes

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: 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion

Case description:

Member of the 2506 Brigade (of Cuban exiles) captured during the Bay of Pigs invasion that sought, but failed, to liberate Cuba from Castro's Communist regime with U.S. government (CIA) support. He had infiltrated Cuba prior to the invasion and was captured attempting to flee Cuba with five others. He was executed for allegedly having killed Communist leader Roberto Escalona Almeida during the Batista regime and had been a Sergeant in the pre-Castro Constitutional Army of Cuba. He had been sentenced during the early days of the Castro regime, but he had escaped from prison.  
He was sentenced to capital punishment on Sep. 8 1961 at a trial in Santa Clara (docket no. 833/61) of 14 "mercenaries" accused of crimes in which five were sentenced to death and nine to 30 years of prison.
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Miembro de la Brigada 2506 (de exiliados cubanos) capturado durante la invasión de Bahía de Cochinos que trató, pero no logró, liberar a Cuba del régimen comunista de Castro con el apoyo del gobierno de Estados Unidos. Se había infiltrado en Cuba antes de la invasión y fue capturado intentando huir junto a  otros cinco compañeros. Fue ejecutado bajo la acusación de haber matado al líder comunista Roberto Escalona Almeida durante el régimen de Batista, por lo que había sido condenado durante los primeros días del régimen de Castro, pero había escapado de la prisión. Era de la provincia de Oriente y había sido sargento en el ejército constitucional pre-castrista de Cuba.
Fue condenado a la pena capital el 8 de septiembre de 1961 en un juicio en Santa Clara (Causa núm. 833/61) de 14 "mercenarios" acusados de delitos; cinco fueron condenados a muerte y nueve a 30 años de prisión.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Execution: by firing squad

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Armed Forces: Brigade 2506

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 2814: Jorge Kim Yum - Case 2818: Rafael Emilio Soler Puig

Case Record - Roberto Pérez Cruzata