Cuba Archive - Case 9146

Case ID: 9146

Title: N/A

First name: Rafael

Last name: Orejón Fornet

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: 20

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: Day:13 / Month:11 / Year:1936

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:23 / Month:12 / Year:1956

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: Nicaro

Last known province-TOD: Oriente

Last known province current: Holguín

Last known country: Cuba

Location death-address: Hospital

Location of death - city: Nicaro

Location of death province - at TOD: Oriente

Location of death province - current: Holguín

Location of death - country: Cuba

Trial held?: No

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: No

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Batista regime

Death attribution detail: Police

Associated Event: 1956 Bloody Christmas Night

Case description:

Resistance member, victim of a repressive wave of Christmas day 1956 directed by Army Colonel Fermín Cowley. Orejón was being sought by police for his resistance activities and was traveling in a car with two fellow resistance members, Enrique Gil de las Casas and Manuel del Valle, when they were stopped by police. Orejón pulled a gun and was shot by one of the guards. He soon died at a local hospital. 
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Víctima de la ola represiva conocida como "Pascuas sangrientas", dirigidas por el coronel Fermín Cowley. La resistencia anti-Batista reparaba una acción para atacar y ocupar las armas del cuartel de los guardia jurados del central Preston, pero éstos fueron previamente avisados. En horas de la noche del 23 de diciembre de 1956, Orejón viajaba en un auto junto a Enrique Gil de las Casas y Manuel del Valle y al pasar frente a la Nicaro Nikel Company, fueron detenidos. Reconocieron a Orejón, a quien buscaban por sus múltiples actividades revolucionarias y éste trató de sacar su pistola, pero Ecured reporta que el guardia jurado Fernando Rodríguez Proenza le dio tres disparos. Poco después, fallecía en el hospital de la localidad.

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

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

Cause of Death: - Combat: Fatality or Missing in Action

Occupations: - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Anti-Batista insurgent or resistance member

Affiliations: - Movement 26 of July

Other Victims Same Event: - Case 4282: Aquiles Espinosa Salgado - Case 10791: Enrique Morgan Nicolaus - Case 9153: José Marcial Pérez Cruz - Case 4505: Alejo José Tomás López - Case 3879: Enrique Casals Villarreal - Case 8900: Héctor Infante Pérez - Case 4144: Julio Oliva Vargas

Case Record - Rafael Orejón Fornet