Plinio Prieto

Plinio Prieto Ruiz (21 June 1923 – 13 October 1960) was a Cuban revolutionary, captain in the revolutionary army, and a participant in the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista as well as the Escambray rebellion. He was one of the organizers of the Second National Front of the Escambray. After the success of the Cuban Revolution, he opposed Fidel Castro's dictatorship and joined the armed rebel movement, where he was captured, sentenced to death, and executed.

Cuban Revolution Born into a family of doctors, he was the third of four siblings, children of Dr. José R. Prieto and Dr. Maria C. Ruiz.

Politically, Plinio Prieto was a strong supporter of democracy and opposed Fulgencio Batista's regime. He was a member of the Authentic Cuban Revolutionary Party and was suspended from teaching for political reasons. He joined the anti-government underground and actively participated in the Cuban Revolution, organizing an anti-Batista propaganda network and major sabotage operations. He was arrested multiple times by Batista's police, which forced him to move to the United States and Mexico. Upon secretly returning to Cuba, he joined the guerrilla movement of the Second National Front of the Escambray, led by Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo and William Alexander Morgan. He participated in battles against Batista's troops and was promoted to the rank of captain in the revolutionary army. However, Prieto's democratic and anti-communist views quickly led to a conflict with Castro. He established ties with the Revolutionary Reconstruction Movement (MRR) and rebel groups in the Escambray. Prieto served as the ideologue and political organizer of the anti-Castro movement. He attempted to coordinate rebel attacks in the Escambray with radio propaganda and political actions from the Authentic Party and the MRR in Havana.

The armed resistance during the early stages of the Escambray rebellion was led by Sinecio Walsh. Many other commanders gathered around his detachment in the mountainous town of Nuevo Mundo. Prieto tried to establish direct contact with him through Diosdado Mesa's group, but was unable to make a direct connection. In early September 1960, government forces under the command of Manuel Fajardo and Juan Vitalio Acuña Núñez launched a massive offensive against Walsh's detachment. The rebels, including Plinio Prieto, began dispersing to their hideouts. The State Security Organs of the G-2 learned of Prieto's movement toward Cienfuegos {rovince through information provided by the recruited associate Félix Hurtado.

Riots broke out in the city. The police dispersed the protests in support of the accused. Of the foreign correspondents, only Soviet journalists were allowed to attend the trial, while American journalists were denied entry. The political decision had been made beforehand. María Caridad Ruiz, Plinio Prieto’s mother, who tried to organize his defense, later said that prosecutor Juan Escalona Reguera had received a sentencing directive from Raúl Castro.

Personal life Plinio Prieto was married and had a son and a daughter, Fernando and Georgina. His wife, Amparo Posada, shared his views and was a political ally of Prieto. In his political activities, Plinio Prieto was known for his independence of thought and action, which often led to serious conflicts even with close collaborators. According to María Caridad Ruiz, the order to eliminate Prieto came from Eloy Gutiérrez Menoyo, but the executors, due to personal sympathy for his son, refused to carry out the task. Plinio Prieto was buried in the Santa Clara cemetery. On 22 January 1998, Pope John Paul II held the first Mass in Cuba in Santa Clara, not far from the execution site.