Roberto Santiesteban Casanova was arrested in the 1960s and faced charges alongside Jorge Garcia Orellana and Antonio Sueiro, as well as eight other individuals. These charges were part of a secret jury investigation into accusations of criminal activity. Among the accused was also a noted advocate for Puerto Rican independence.
The context of the arrest was set against a backdrop of significant political and ideological changes in Cuba. After the Cuban Revolution, a new, agile, and industrious Cuba emerged, rallying around its revolutionary government and aspiring to build a better society. This Cuba, characterized by its readiness to defend the revolution and reject previous ties to U.S. imperialism, starkly contrasted with the previous regime.
Furthermore, the arrest of Santiesteban and others prompted a formal protest by Carlos Lechuga, the Cuban permanent representative to the United Nations, to U.N. Acting Secretary-General U Thant. The protest condemned the arrest, mistreatment, and trial of these individuals.
Document Archive
FBI File: 1962 Arrents of Cuban Saboteurs in New York – The Case of Roberto Santiesteban Casanova, Jorge Garcia Orellana and Antonio Sueiro [652 Pages, 42MB]
Follow The Black Vault on Social Media:
