SANTIAGO DE CUBA, CUBA – JANUARY 12, 1959 Lieutenant Enrique Despaigne Noret was one of dozens of members of the security forces and military of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista’s regime who were put on trial by revolutionary courts and subsequently executed after the victory of the Cuban Revolution in January 1959.
Despaigne Noret served as a lieutenant in the Cuban security forces during Batista’s rule. After the fall of the regime on January 1, 1959, he was detained by revolutionaries led by the Fidel Castro movement and accused of participating in repression against government opponents, including murders and the torture of prisoners. Records from that period list him among officers accused of violence connected to Batista’s security apparatus.
His case was part of an event known as the San Juan Hill massacre, which took place on January 12, 1959, in Santiago de Cuba. According to historical sources, approximately 71 to 73 people were executed during the event, mostly former soldiers, police officers, and individuals accused of collaborating with the previous regime.
Before his execution, Despaigne Noret underwent a brief revolutionary trial. Surviving photographs and film footage show both his trial and the execution itself. The footage shows him being brought in handcuffs to the execution site on San Juan Hill in Santiago de Cuba, where he stood before a firing squad.
The execution was carried out by a firing squad of Cuban revolutionaries. Despaigne Noret was shot on January 12, 1959, after being sentenced by a revolutionary tribunal. According to contemporary footage, he was placed in front of a wall or ditch before the firing squad opened fire on him.
The executions following the victory of the revolution sparked international controversy. While supporters of the revolution described them as justified punishment for those responsible for crimes committed under Batista’s government, critics pointed to the speed of the trials and the lack of proper legal protections for the accused.
READ MORE:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan_Hill_massacre
