Related videos:
The repressor José Luis Mesa Delgado, brigadier general in the reserves, passed away on the morning of this Wednesday, January 14, at the age of 88, according to a notification from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT).
The text presents him as a former member of the 26th of July Movement, a fighter in the Clandestine Struggle, the Rebel Army, and the Fight Against Bandits, with nearly 60 years of service in the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) and the Ministry of the Interior.
However, the death of Mesa Delgado rekindles attention on his role in one of the most controversial episodes in Cuba's recent history: the execution of General Arnaldo Ochoa Sánchez.
On July 13, 1989, Ochoa was executed alongside Antonio de la Guardia, Jorge Martínez Valdés, and Amado Padrón Trujillo by a firing squad of six men led by then-Colonel José Luis Mesa Delgado, at a location described as adjacent to the runway of the Baracoa airbase, west of Havana.
The deceased, who passed away as a brigadier general, held the rank of colonel and directed a special forces training center located in the municipality of Los Palacios in Pinar del Río, as recalled by Aldo Luberta Martínez.
"After committing the murders, Mesa Delgado fired two finishing shots at each corpse. Everyone is afraid of Mesa Delgado. That guy is sinister, he has no blood in his veins. He is worse than Ramiro Valdés," said in an article.
After Fidel Castro came to power, Mesa Delgado held various positions of responsibility, undertook an internationalist mission in the People's Republic of Angola, joined the Communist Party of Cuba in 1966, and was a delegate to several PCC congresses.
At the family's request, Mesa's body will be cremated and his remains will be transferred to the province of Villa Clara.
The MININT claims that he was awarded multiple orders and medals, including the Order of June 6th of First Class and distinctions related to the underground struggle, the liberation war, and internationalism.
To the list of repressors
On July 13, 1989, the day Arnaldo Ochoa Sánchez was executed alongside Antonio de la Guardia, Jorge Martínez Valdés, and Amado Padrón Trujillo, Mesa Delgado directed the operation.
The execution took place in a field near the Baracoa air force base, west of Havana, carried out by a squad of six men led by the then-colonel.
After the executions, Mesa Delgado was promoted. Due to his actions, he has been included in the list of Cuban repressors for alleged international crimes, including beatings, physical abuse, and complicity in homicide.
It has also been marked by various repressive actions, such as censorship of the rights to assembly, demonstration, association, complaint, and petition.
Filed under: