WHAAMM!! Startled, I woke up. It was the firing squad. A single shot followed, the coup de grace. And then a truck starting its engine, going away and coming back. Most men in Gallery 16, perhaps a hundred prisoners woke up, or were taken aback those who were not sleeping. Some went to the double barred window, at the back of the gallery, about fifty meters away from the execution grounds; others began to recite the rosary, some cursed the executioners: "Monsters!" "Sons of whores!"

A few minutes later, in the silence of the night, it was around 2 a.m., someone yelled "Viva Cuba libre!" (Long live free Cuba!), "Viva Cristo Rey!" (Long live Christ King!), immediately followed by "Apunten!" (Aim!), "Fuego!" (Fire!), WHAAMM!!, a single shot and again the engine of a truck, carrying away the corpse, and coming back for the next load.

Five executions took place in less than thirty minutes, four hours after the trial had ended. It was September 22, 1961. In a group of sixty two men and six women I had appeared before the Revolutionary Tribunal Number One, at La Cabana Fortress, In Havana. The day before , from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., the trial had taken place in what was called Causa (Case) 238 of 1961.

The proceedings had started at 8 a.m., and took place in a big salon, inside the Fortress. Besides the accused, their lawyers, members of the tribunal and prosecution, soldiers carrying rifles, journalists, some members of the Diplomatic Corps (this because a British citizen, Robert Morton Guedes, was among the accused), there were also relatives of the defendants and general public, some in hand in case it became necessary to stage a "spontaneous" demonstration against the accused. In all, probably over three hundred persons.

The tribunal was formed by its President, Lt. Dr. Pelayo Fernandez (aka) "Pelayo Paredon" (Pelayo Big Wall) and four members, three of which were military men and a fourth member of the militia. The prosecution was represented by Dr. Fernando Flores (aka) "Charco de Sangre" (Blood Pond).