Máximo Omar Ruiz Matoses, a former lieutenant colonel in the Ministry of the Interior, recalls his disbelief at the possibility of General Arnaldo Ochoa Sánchez being executed. He was in a barbershop when the barber asked if he thought Ochoa would be put to death. When the execution indeed occurred, Ruiz Matoses made a decision that led to nearly two decades behind bars.
"I couldn't fathom that they would execute the most battle-hardened general of the Armed Forces. But they did," recounts Ruiz Matoses in a conversation with Tania Costa for CiberCuba. The execution of General Ochoa on July 13, 1989, alongside Colonel Antonio 'Tony' de la Guardia, Jorge Martínez Valdés, and Amado Padrón Trujillo, marked the conclusion of Cause No. 1, the most contentious military trial of the Castro regime.
Personal Connections and Unsettling Confessions
Ruiz Matoses had a personal connection to Ochoa; his brother was friends with the general, and he had visited him at the Western Army Headquarters in El Calvario shortly before the trial. During their conversation, Ochoa had expressed a desire to leave military life behind: "I just want to be given a piece of land to raise my chickens, my little pigs, and forget about all the wars." By then, he had served in Ethiopia, Angola, and Nicaragua.
Holding Fidel Castro Accountable
Matoses firmly points to Fidel Castro as the direct orchestrator of the execution. "He ordered the killing, and Escalona, like a lapdog, followed instructions," he asserts, referring to Juan Escalona Reguera, then Minister of Justice, who acted as prosecutor and demanded the death penalty for seven of the fourteen defendants.
When the execution was confirmed, Ruiz Matoses immediately contacted his wife. "This is over for me," he declared. With three decades of service, he requested the retirement he was entitled to by seniority.
Repercussions and Injustice
The regime's response was not to accept his resignation. Instead, he was subjected to intense and overt surveillance—a "tremendous visual check"—so apparent that even his mother noticed. "Son, they're going to harm you," she warned.
Her prediction was accurate. Ruiz Matoses was arrested and subjected to a trial with no defense guarantees. His lawyer, Menelao Mora, son of the lawyer who died during the 1957 assault on the Presidential Palace, was in Santiago when the trial began, forcing Matoses to accept a court-appointed attorney who sought his acquittal. Nevertheless, he was sentenced and served time between La Condesa and the special area of Guanajay prison, where former Minister of the Interior José Abrantes died of a heart attack in January 1991.
A Historical Context of Political Purges
The interview with Tania Costa occurred three days after CiberCuba's conversation with Iliana de la Guardia, daughter of Colonel Tony de la Guardia, executed alongside General Ochoa. In her interview, De la Guardia referenced the purge following the 1989 Causes 1 and 2 and its impact on the families of those executed. Ruiz Matoses's conviction is rooted in this historical moment.
Numerous former military personnel and analysts have long argued that the trial was a political purge aimed at eliminating powerful figures within the military and security apparatus, during a time when the Soviet bloc's collapse threatened the regime's stability. Ruiz Matoses now resides in Spain, but envisions celebrating a transition with a beer in Marianao.
Insights into Cuba's Historical Political Trials
What was Cause No. 1 in Cuba?
Cause No. 1 was a highly controversial military trial in 1989 that led to the execution of several high-ranking officials, including General Arnaldo Ochoa, accused of corruption and other charges.
Who was Arnaldo Ochoa?
Arnaldo Ochoa was a Cuban general known for his military service in Africa and Latin America. He was executed in 1989 following a high-profile trial accused of drug trafficking and treason.
Why was Ruiz Matoses imprisoned?
Ruiz Matoses was imprisoned after expressing dissent against the regime's actions following the execution of General Ochoa, leading to his arrest and a trial lacking proper defense.