HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack-Up BiographyErnesto Diaz Madruga in Memorian.
By: Luis G. Infante Political Prisoner # 34028.
Between the sixth and ninth of August of 1964, political prisoner Ernesto Diaz Madruga clung between life and death at
the clinic of the prison at Isles of Pines, his intestines perforated by the tip of a bayonet.
By 1964, the anti communist Cuban political prison system —in existence for five years -faced one of its most critical
moments; on that year de Ministry of the Interior and the Department of Prisons and Jails ordered the establishment of
one of the most shameful aberrations practiced against human dignity in this hemisphere: the Camilo Cienfuegos Work
Plan.
Comhnunist dialectics theorized the existence of the work plan with the refrain tha he "who does not work does not eat"
or to say that we would not be allowed to live as parasites in a communist society, consuming without contributing, a
failed reasoning —as in all Marxist reasoning- developed from economic determinism.
These economic theories lacked a base of reality: the true genesis of the work plan was geared to the physical
extermination or political surrender of the adversary, an intent to force rebellious political prisoners —known as
"Plantados" —to submit to the Political Rehabilitation Plan.
From a judicial point of view or of international rights, the torture and forced labor imposed constituted a violation of
the rights and status of political prisoners. Rebelling against these impositions Ernesto Diaz Madruga was bayoneted by
guards on the 6th of August 1964.
Because prisoners were forced to work, the tactic of rebellion consisted in passive or active resistance when faced with
commands form the guards. On the 6th of August 1964, one month after the plan was put into effect, a criminal horde
of guards entered Building 6 of Isle of Pines to imposse their will.
Ernestico was young and idealist. When the guards ordered all prisoners to come down to the bottom yard, the most
rebellious were slower in moving, our resistance as "Plantados."
Enraged by our resistance, the guards moved floor to floor, insulting and hitting prisoners; Ernestico lived in the fourth
floor and the guards arrived leaving bruise marks on anybody they found on their way up.
The man heading the uniformed squad was Sergeant of Interior Order Porfirio Gonzalez. Destiny face Ernestico and
executioner. Ernestico, in his status of "Plantado" did not execute the commands shouted quickly enough, resulting in a
turbulent discussion followed by a bayonet penetrating Ernesto's intestines.
Due to the protests and shoving of all prisoners, the guards were forced to leave the building and Ernesto was
transferred to the penal clinic facilities. On the ninth day of August, he died of his wounds without having received
medical attention. The officer who murdered him was promoted to Lieutenant.