Cuba Archive - Case 4878

Case ID: 4878

Title: N/A

First name: Juan

Last name: Lima Sotelo

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: El niño

Name also reported as: Juan Limas, Juan Lima Sotelo, Juan Lumas Sotelo, Juan Lima Sotero

Age: 28

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:2 / Month:9 / Year:1963

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: La Campana military camp

Location of death - city: Trinidad

Location of death province - at TOD: Las Villas

Location of death province - current: Sancti Spíritus

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: In Bacunayagua, Las Villas province

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: Anti-Castro insurgency/resistance

Case description:

Anti-Castro resistance member executed by firing squad. He had participated in a few infiltration missions to Cuba and with fellow resistance members of "Comandos Mambises" had infiltrated into Cuba, planning to get his girlfriend out. They were surprised by a Cuban vessel at Cayo Sal, north of Cuba and the border guards shot at them with automatic rifles; a companion was killed.  He, Juan Sánchez Ruano and Víctor Vargas Rodríguez were executed. Juan Sánchez Perdomo, the fisherman who was the contact inside Cuba, was sentenced to 30 years of prison and died in prison from a heart attack. José Manuel Pérez Hernández was also sentenced to 30 years of prison but was released after 12 years and was able to leave Cuba.
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Miembro de la resistencia anticastrista ejecutado. Había participado en algunas misiones de infiltración a Cuba y con otros miembros de la resistencia de "Comandos Mambises" se había infiltrado en Cuba, planeando sacar a su novia. Fueron sorprendidos por una embarcación cubana en Cayo Sal, al norte de Cuba y los guardias fronterizos les dispararon con fusiles automáticos; un compañero resultó muerto. Él, Juan Sánchez Ruano y Víctor Vargas Rodríguez fueron ejecutados. Juan Sánchez Perdomo, el pescador que fue el contacto dentro de Cuba, fue sentenciado a 30 años de prisión y murió en prisión de un infarto. José Manuel Pérez Hernández también fue condenado a 30 años de prisión, pero fue liberado después de 12 años y pudo salir de Cuba.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 70, has him executed by firing squad in Sancti Spíritus, province of Las Villas.  Both Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 48, and Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 59, show him executed by firing squad in Trinidad on August 3, 1973.  Beruvides, 1993, p. 135; Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; Instituto de la Memoria Histórica Cubana contra el Totalitarismo, 2002, p. 21; and Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 70, all report a Juan LIma Gutiérrez from Victoria de Las Tunas, executed at El Condado prison, Trinidad on September 1, 1963. Both Instituto de la Memoria Histórica Cubana contra el Totalitarismo, 2002, p. 21, and Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 70, report a Juan LIma Gutiérrez executed by firing squad on September 2, 1963. A coworker reports Juan Lima Sotelo executed 5/31/69. Efemerides de Hoy en la Lucha Contra La Dictadura, Comité Internacional de Ex Prresos Politicos Cubanos, reports the date of execution as May 31, 1969. Un día como hoy, Comité Internacional de ex-Presos Políticos Cubanos, e-mail of May 13, 2022, reports him executed on May 31, 1969,

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Execution: by firing squad

Occupations: - N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Attempting exit

Affiliations: - Comandos Mambises

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 1296: Juan Sánchez Ruano (Espinosa) - Case 1182: Victor Vargas Rodríguez

Case Record - Juan Lima Sotelo