14ymedio, Havana, 19 February 2024 — Retired diplomat Felix León Carballo, ambassador to Belarus, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, among other charges, spent 40 years as an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and died this Saturday in Havana under suspicious circumstances.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed it this Sunday through a statement in which there is no mention of the cause of death, which was allegedly a homicide, according to a close friend, the Cuban ambassador in Djibouti, who was the source of the news.
“Felix León died on me… or rather ‘they killed him on me’. ‘Pacolo’ as we also know him (I refuse to talk about you in the past). So many years together! And some bastards got in the way of our plans. This is our last photo,” Caballero Torres wrote on Facebook, raising the alarm.
Félix León died on me… or rather ‘they killed him on me’. ‘Pacolo’ as we also know him (I refuse to talk about you in the past). So many years together! And some bastards got in the way of our plans
The post was deleted hours later, according to Café Fuerte, which was still able to capture some of the comments of those who reacted to the news. “I’m so sorry. They took brother Paco. Nor will justice calm our immense pain. There can be no impunity for that crime,” said Maura Quintero Dipotet, wife of the ambassador in Djibouti.
“Marcelo, how painful is Felix’s death. I can’t believe it yet,” wrote another acquaintance on the Facebook page of the Djibouti ambassador. “That’s life… sometimes it’s lost in the most fucked up and undeserved way,” he replied.
Several independent media cited Caballero Torres’ message as a source to report the violent death, but hours later the post had disappeared. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a statement limited to reporting the death and offering condolences to relatives and colleagues.
In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that León Carballo joined the Foreign Service in 1975 and worked in the Directorate of Europe and the Center for Information and Multimedia Services. “Let’s always remember his contribution to foreign policy and his eternal permanence in the Minrex family (sic.).”
The Ministry replicated the text on its social networks, where some acquaintances remembered the deceased, without anyone else mentioning the possible circumstances of the death. “I will always remember your sincere gratitude, your patience and determination to make us reflect. Your years of experience made you wise and a bearer of morality. Your revolutionary conviction was always an example and impetus for the whole group. RIP friend Felix,” the Embassy of Granada wrote on Facebook.
“Cuban diplomacy is in mourning. We have lost a valuable partner. Tremendous blow for all of us who knew him. Heartfelt condolences to his family and closest friends,” added diplomat Enrique Almeida.
“Cuban diplomacy is in mourning. We have lost a valuable partner. Tremendous blow for all of us who knew him. Heartfelt condolences to his family and closest friends”
“I deeply regret the death of our dear colleague and friend Félix León. Excellent diplomat, professional and human being, he will serve as an example to all those who embrace the Foreign Service of our Homeland,” the chain of messages continues.
On X, where it is not possible to delete the comments to your own publication, the situation has been different. The condolences for the death have been joined by critics of the Government who have demanded solidarity with other deceased allegedly due to negligence of the regime, and by those who demand that the events surrounding the death be revealed.
“Tell the truth. He was assaulted and killed in his home because the crime wave can’t be stopped,” demands a user.
At the end of November 2023, Bohemia magazine published an article entitled “Social violence in Cuba: Between Reality and the Idea.” From an unofficial digital survey, it found that 92.4% of participants said that violence has increased a lot on the Island. Forty-two percent said they had been aware of 10 or more violent crimes in the last six months, and almost half claimed that a family member or close friend had been a victim of violent crime.
In addition, a third of those affected did not report the crime, but among those who did, 73% did not get a resolution.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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