Cuba Archive - Case 7985

Case ID: 7985

Title: Division General (2 stars)

First name: José

Last name: Abrantes Fernández

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: Pepe

Name also reported as: José Abrahantes

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:21 / Month:1 / Year:1991

Citizenship: N/A

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: La Habana

Last known province current: Ciudad de La Habana

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Guanajay Prison

Location of death province - at TOD: Pinar del Río

Location of death province - current: Pinar del Río

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: Yes

Docket Number: 2 of 1989

Sentence details: 20 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: Ministry of the Interior (leadership purge)

Associated Event: Body tampering/missing parts/family denied remains

Case description:

Former Division General of the Armed Forces and former Interior Minister very close to Fidel Castro for many years purged during the General Arnaldo Ochoa affair (Ochoa and several others were executed, many were sent to prison, and many more were removed from their positions for alleged drug trafficking and misuse of funds). Abrantes was stripped of his rank and imprisoned along with six of his aides and was serving a 20-year prison (starting July 30, 1989), for abuse of authority, negligence in his duties, and improper use of government funds. It was reported that he had been subjected to a deprived nutrition regime to rob him of his strength (some sources say toxins were added to his food) and had been given concentrated doses and shots of potassium and digohina (digitoxina), which provoked a heart attack. He began having chest pains at around 6pm and fellow prisoner began requesting medical attention. An ambulance arrived many hours later and he was reportedly asphyxiated with a pillow in the ambulance. No autopsy was performed and the family was not allowed to see his body. He was in his 50s, had two sons, and his partner was pregnant with their child at the time.
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Ex general de División de las Fuerzas Armadas y exministro del Interior que había sido condenado a 20 años de prisión durante la purga del Ministerio del Interior de 1989. Desertores del régimen cubano informaron que había sido sometido a una dieta especial de nutrición para debilitarlo y que se le agregaban toxinas a su comida además de administrársele inyecciones con dosis concentradas de potasio y digoxina para provocarle un ataque cardíaco. Según se informa, fue trasladado en ambulancia al hospital y lo asfixiaron con una almohada durante el trayecto. No se realizó autopsia y no se permitió a la familia ver el cadáver.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Confirmed with primary source(s)

Cause of Death: - Extrajudicial killing, possible/suspected

Occupations: - Military Specific Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: - Brother/Sister in Case 7985: José Abrantes Fernández

Victim Type: - Armed Forces: military or militia

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - José Abrantes Fernández