Cuba Archive - Case 6452

Case ID: 6452

Title: N/A

First name: Amancio

Last name: Mosqueda Fernández

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Comandante Yarey 'Palm Leaf' , Cagueiro , Yarey

Name also reported as: Amancio Mosquera, Anastasio Mosquera, Amancio Modqueda Rodríguez, Amancio Mosqueta, Anastasio Mosqueta, Armancio Mosquera, Amancio Rodríguez Mosquera, Amancio Rodríguez Mosquera

Age: 41

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:7 / Month:12 / Year:1969

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: Oriente

Last known province current: Guantánamo

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Boniato prison

Location of death - city: Santiago de Cuba

Location of death province - at TOD: Oriente

Location of death province - current: Santiago de Cuba

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: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Castro regime

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: Anti-Castro insurgency/resistance

Case description:

Executed by firing squad after landing in Cuba on May 13, 1969 as part of an expedition group of 10-men belonging to the anti-Castro group RECE (Representation of Cuban Exiles) commanded by himself and Roberto Herrera to free political prisoner Ofelia Rodríguez, wife of Francisco Cid, who was also part of the infiltrating group. They arrived at Macambo beach, near the U.S. Guantánamo Naval Base and were detected by government forces. Three died in the combat (Roberto Herrera, Bienvenido Fuentes and Justo Leyva Columbié), three others, in addition to Amancio, were executed (Francisco Cid, Manuel Rodríguez Pineda and Angel Luis Castillo) the rest sentenced to prison for 30 years, (Tito Pardo, Carlos Ibarra and Sixto Mosqueda).
According to former Cuban intelligence official (defector) Enrique Garcia, a fellow officer who had been active in counterintelligence (José Pereda) in the early 1960s told him that he had killed the resistance fighter known as "Yarey," after he was found hiding in a hut ("bohio) with his wife and newborn son. Captures, his wife asked to say goodbye and he retrieved a gun she was holding on her chest, under the baby. He shot at the captors, injuring two, and escaped to the surrounding field, where he was gunned down.
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Fue ejecutado por un pelotón de fusilamiento luego de infiltrarse en Cuba desde el extranjero el 13 de mayo de 1969 como parte de una expedición de 10 hombres del grupo anticastrista RECE (Representación Cubana del Exilio), liderados por él y Roberto Herrera para liberar a la presa política Ofelia Rodríguez, esposa de Francisco Cid, que también formaba parte del grupo. Llegaron a la playa de Macambo, cerca de la Base Naval de Estados Unidos en Guantánamo, pero fueron detectados por las fuerzas del gobierno. Tres expedicionarios murieron en el combate (Roberto Herrera, Bienvenido Fuentes  y Justo Leyva Columbié), otros tres, además de Amancio, fueron condenados a muerte y ejecutados (Francisco Cid, Manuel Rodríguez y Ángel Castillo), el resto fue condenado a 30 años de prisión, (Tito Pardo, Carlos Ibarra y Sixto Mosqueda).  Mosqueda dejó una hija.
Según el ex oficial de inteligencia cubano (desertor) Enrique García, un compañero oficial que había estado activo en contrainteligencia (José Pereda) en los años sesenta le dijo que había matado al alzado conocido como "Yarey" después de que lo fuera ubicado escondido en un bohío con su esposa y su hijo recién nacido. La esposa había pedido despedirse y llevaba un arma en el pecho, debajo del bebé. Mosqueda tomó el arma, disparó contra los captores, hiriendo a dos, y escapó hacia el campo, donde fue asesinado a tiros.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 58; and Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 91, report him executed by firing squad in Boniato Prison in November 1969.  Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, reports him executed by firing squad in San Antonio del Sur, province of Oriente in 1962.  Beruvides, 1993, p. 149, reports him executed by firing squad in 1962.  Gómez Estrada, 1990, p. 183, reports him executed by firing squad in 1968. United States Information Agency, 1993, Year 1967; and Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994, report him executed in 1969.  Beruvides, 1993, p. 149, reports him executed in San Antonio del Sur, Oriente in 1972. Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; and Beruvides, 1993, p. 149, report him as Amancio Mosqueda Rodríguez, killed in Santiago on December 1967 after an infiltration.  Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; Beruvides, 1993, p. 149; and Gómez Estrada, 1990, p. 153, report him as Anastasio Mosqueta (aliases Anastasio Mosquera and Yarey, or Palm Leaf), an anti-Castro insurgent executed by firing squad in San Antonio del Sur, province of Oriente (now Guantánamo), in 1962.  Beruvides, 1993, p. 149, has him executed by firing squad in 1972.  Gómez Estrada, 1990, p. 153, has him executed by firing squad in 1968.  Clarinada, diciembre 2008, reports the victim as Amancio Mosquera, alias Yarey, executed by firing squad with Francisco Cid, Manuel Rodríguez Pineda and Ángel Castillo after disembarking in Oriente on December 7, 1969; three others of their group, Tico Herrera, Justo Leiva and Bienvenido Fuentes, died in combat.  Beruvides, 1993, p. 167; Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994; Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 27; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 74, report the victim as Amancio Rodríguez Mosquera, executed by firing squad in Santiago de Cuba, province of Oriente (now Santiago de Cuba), on April 11, 1963.  WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 33; and Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 58, report him as Amancio Mosqueda, alias Amancio Mosquera, executed by firing squad in the city of Santiago de Cuba, province of Oriente (now Santiago de Cuba), on April 11, 1963. 
Beruvides, 1993, p. 149. Cuban American National Foundation, Quilt of Fidel Castro's Genocide, 1994. WAQI-Radio Mambí, p. 87, Un día como hoy, Comité Internacional de ex-Presos Políticos Cubanos, e-mail of November 6, 2022., Circuito Sur, July 2002, p. 58. Nuestra Cuba, 1998, p. 93, all report a Sixto Mosquera Fernández, executed November 6, 1961.

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: - Anti-Castro insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: - Alpha 66

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 6450: Francisco Cid Crespo - Case 6453: Manuel Rodríguez Pineda - Case 6463: Ángel Luis Castillo Cabrera - Case 6440: Bienvenido Fuentes Leónard - Case 6439: Justo Leyva Columbie - Case 6438: Roberto Herrera

Case Record - Amancio Mosqueda Fernández