In November 2016, Cuba Archive highlighted the death of two dissidents. Independent journalist and former political prisoner,
Jorge Alberto Liriado Linares, age 67, died November 14
, 2016 in Camaguey from medical neglect and political persecution that deliberately aggravated a heart condition. Human rights activist
Arcelio, “Chely,” Molina Leyva, age 53, died November 15, 2016 in Havana, impaled on a pointed fence after allegedly falling from the roof of his house during the early morning hours.
49 Cuban migrants attempting to reach the United States died or disappeared in perilous journeys by sea or through South and Central America. Cuba Archive could only document 14 whose names were known. Nine rafters died in March, fifteen in July, and twenty in September (only 5 bodies were recovered near the Florida Keys in an extensive search by the U.S. Coast Guard). Rolando Mojena, age 20, was among the victims.
Dunieski Lastre Sedeño, age 25, and
Edelvis Martínez Aguilar, were murdered while crossing through the Colombian jungle attempting to reach the U.S. With another Cuban, they had paid Colombian coyotes US$1,500 to guide them to the Panamanian border. Upon reaching a swamp, the coyotes demanded more money, which the migrants didn't have, so they raped, stabbed, and sliced Edelvis’ neck. They also stabbed both men, killing Dunieski, but one survived and provided testimony that led to the arrest of the perpetrators by Colombian authorities.
Carmen Navarro Olazabal, age 49, died August 20, 2016 as she attempted to reach the United States by crossing South and Central America. She developed a pulmonary edema and kidney failure as a result of foot blisters, a severe fall, asthma, and exhaustion during a 13-day crossing of the jungle between Colombia and Panama. A pianist and chemist, she was part of a group of Cubans that left Colombia after being threatened for deportation.
Rubén Ramírez Caso, age 53, died in Panama of the flu caused by the AH1N1 virus while attempting to cross Central America to reach the United States.
Four doctors died while serving as part of an “internationalist mission”--
Drs. Barbara Cruz Ruiz, age 45,
Leonardo Ortiz Estrada, age 53, and
Erick Omar Pérez, age 41, perished April 17, 2016 in Ecuador in a powerful earthquake. Two months later,
Dr. Yanelis Fernández, age 28, who had been severely injured in the earthquake, died at a Quito hospital from heart failure. Cuban health professionals on these assignments serve under bilateral agreements of the Cuban government in conditions akin to modern slavery. Revenues generated by these export services constitute the main source of revenues for Cuba, officially reported at over $8 billion annually.
Another Cuban "internationalist"
Freddy Bartolo Nápoles, a 54 year-old physical therapist, was murdered October 10, 2016 by two criminals in Venezuela reportedly then killed by police.
In 2016, independent labor activists reported the death of two workers, name unknown, who were electrocuted in Havana. They had not been provided protective gear; workplace accidents are common and the victims have no recourse.
Documented deaths and disappearances attributed to the Raúl Castro regime: 7/31/2006 and until 12/31/2016Since Raúl Castro assumed supreme command of Cuba on July 31, 2006, Cuba Archive has documented 264 deaths and disappearances attributed to the Cuban state. This number excludes even the documented victims of exit attempts , thought to be in the hundreds, and is, sadly, well below the actual number of victims, reported and presumed. Many individuals are known to be dying in prison –especially many young men—yet there are almost no reports from prison, as access is routinely denied to international monitoring agencies such as the Red Cross, and no systematic efforts are in place in Cuba to attempt collecting this information independently. Here is the breakdown, excluding deaths in exit attempts:
Cuba Archive documented 21 cases of death or disappearance in 2016 attributed to the Cuban political process, however, many more cases were reported for which sufficient information was unavailable and many more cases are expected in prisons but could not be added to the database.
