Cuba Archive - Case 6566

Case ID: 6566

Title: N/A

First name: Alberto

Last name: Lazo Pastrana

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:1 / Month:9 / Year:1978

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Isla de Pinos

Last known province-TOD: Isla de Pinos / Isla de l

Last known province current: Isla de la Juventud

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Combinado del Este prison hospital

Location of death - city: Havana

Location of death province - at TOD: La Habana

Location of death province - current: Ciudad de La Habana

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: Eighteen years

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: Prison authorities

Associated Event: N/A

Case description:

A political prisoner, died at a Havana hospital prison in mysterious circumstances. He had been a member of Castro’s Rebel Army but joined the opposition soon after the rebels came to power. Accused of alleged counterrevolutionary activities, he served a ten-year sentence. After his release, he was denied work as well as permission to leave the country. Desperate, he built a raft and attempted to flee Cuba with his wife and three children. They were spotted by a Cuban Border patrol, that rammed and sunk their raft despite their pleas that children were on board.  Alberto, made it to shore exhausted, his wife´s body washed ashore the next day, partly devoured by sharks. The children’s bodies were never found.  He was sentenced to eighteen years in prison and was being held at Combinado del Este prison in Havana.  Right before his release as part of a general amnesty, he developed a colon ailment, believed to be cancer, and was taken to the prison's hospital, where he reportedly died suddenly.
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El preso político, murió en el hospital de la prisión Combinado del Este, La Habana, en circunstancias sospechosas. Había sido miembro del Ejército Rebelde de Castro, pero se unió a la oposición poco después de que los rebeldes llegaran al poder. Acusado de presuntas actividades contrarrevolucionarias, cumplió una condena de diez años. Al ser liberado, se le denegó trabajo, así como permiso para salir del país. Desesperado, construyó una balsa e intentó huir de Cuba con su esposa y tres hijos. Una patrulla fronteriza cubana los descubrió y embistió la balsa, hundiéndola, a pesar de las súplicas de que había niños a bordo. Alberto, llegó a la costa exhausto, el cuerpo de su esposa apareció al día siguiente, parcialmente devorado por tiburones. Los niños nunca aparecieron. Fue sentenciado a dieciocho años en prisión por intentar salir del país. Poco antes de ser liberado en una amnistía general, desarrolló una dolencia de colon, posiblemente cáncer, y fue llevado al hospital de la prisión, donde murió repentina y misteriosamente.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Medical condition/Denial of medical care

Occupations: N/A

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: - Child in Case 8872: Child #1 Lazo (Pastrana) - Child in Case 8873: Child #2 Lazo (Pastrana) - Child in Case 8874: Child #3 Lazo (Pastrana) - Spouse in Case 6902: Mrs. Alberto Lazo Pastrana

Victim Type: - Prisoner / Detainee: Political cause

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Alberto Lazo Pastrana