Cuba Archive is developing a comprehensive registry of disappearances and fatalities of a political nature resulting from the Cuban Revolution. This information is gathered and disseminated for educational purposes and to advance human rights. Users of this information should read carefully the Terms of Use section of this website.

“The Numbers”

As of December 31, 2008, around 11,000 case records had been entered into the electronic database (go to Database if you wish to register as a user.) For regular updates on numbers, go to Reports or undertake an Advanced Search of the Database. Please read the Terms of Use section for important information regarding how to interpret this data.

Case records entered into the database provide the basis for ongoing reports on “the numbers.” But, these are only the cases for which information has been obtained; they are considered “documented” for the purposes of this work. Actual deaths resulting from the Cuban Revolution are believed to exceed the deaths documented by this project by many times.

The Work

Data amassed until 2003 by  Armando Lago, Ph.D. (1939-2008), derived mostly from bibliographic sources, served as the building block of the electronic database. Subsequently, Cuba Archive has improved and expanded that work, particularly by gathering new information from primary sources and with improved information management thanks to its tailor-made data management system.

This work is ongoing and is partially available to the public in an electronic Database, a cutting-edge tool in the field of human rights reporting. In addition, Cuba Archive undertakes in-depth studies of selected cases, developing profiles of victims and/or using multimedia tools to tell their stories, and engages in diverse efforts to disseminate its work worldwide, raising awareness of the crimes of the Castro regime and the human cost of political violence in Cuba.

Scope

The Archive encompasses events beginning on March 10, 1952, date of General Fulgencio Batista's coup d’etat and suspension of constitutional democratic rule in Cuba. It incorporates actions taking place inside or outside the island and affecting Cubans and non-Cubans alike. All cases are documented, irrespective of political, ideological, and other attributes or affiliations of the victim. Each case is referenced with all the sources from which the information was obtained. Discrepancies in case details are noted as “conflicts of evidence.” All findings are reported faithfully, honoring a strong commitment to objectivity, transparency, and impartiality.

Timeline

The project involves an ongoing undertaking to identify and investigate previously unreported cases and add or correct information on recorded cases and enter this data into the database. Progress will depend on available staffing and resources.

Cuba Archive hopes to endure as a vehicle of ongoing research, archival collection, dissemination, and capacity-building on the issue of truth, memory, and justice.