Ricardo Montero Duque
Encyclopedia
Ricardo Montero Duque was a military battalion commander in the invading forces of Brigade 2506
during the Bay of Pigs Invasion
of Cuba
in April 1961.
He was born in Matanzas
, Cuba. In 1950, he graduated from the Military Academy of the Cuban Army with the rank of Second Lieutenant, eventually assuming the rank of Major. His military career can be traced to battles against the guerrilla forces of Fidel Castro
. In 1956, Major Duque was instrumental in leading the Cuban Army during the regime of Fulgencio Batista
against Castro and his rebel forces in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra
in Oriente Province. After the Cuban Revolution
of 1 January 1959, Duque was wanted by the revolutionary courts, accused of having committed human rights
abuses against the civilian population during his service in Oriente. He fled Cuba, assisted by Pepe San Roman.
During the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, he commanded the Infantry Battalion No.5 of Brigade 2506. He was one of 1,189 members of Brigade 2506 captured by Cuban government forces. Duque was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The Cuban government agreed to release all but nine of them a year later, when the United States ransomed the prisoners for $53 million in food and medicine. Of the other eight, one died in prison, six were later freed and the last prisoner, Ramon Conte Hernandez, remained in prison until 1986.
On June 8, 1986, He was released from prison in Cuba and reunited with his family in Union City, New Jersey
. He has served as Director and Editor of the newspapers El Cuba Libre and La Semana. He has twice been elected to serve as President of the Union of Former Cuban Political Prisoners.
Duque has been a real estate agent since 1987. He was married to Esther, his wife of fifty years, who died in 2007.
Brigade 2506
Brigade 2506 was the name given to a CIA-sponsored group of Cuban exiles formed in 1960 to attempt the military overthrow of the Cuban government headed by Fidel Castro...
during the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
in April 1961.
He was born in Matanzas
Matanzas
Matanzas is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas. It is famed for its poets, culture, and Afro-Cuban folklore.It is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Matanzas , east of the capital Havana and west of the resort town of Varadero.Matanzas is called the...
, Cuba. In 1950, he graduated from the Military Academy of the Cuban Army with the rank of Second Lieutenant, eventually assuming the rank of Major. His military career can be traced to battles against the guerrilla forces of Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. In 1956, Major Duque was instrumental in leading the Cuban Army during the regime of Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
against Castro and his rebel forces in the mountains of the Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra
Sierra Maestra is a mountain range that runs westward across the south of the old Oriente Province from what is now Guantánamo Province to Niquero in southeast Cuba, rising abruptly from the coast. Some view it as a series of connecting ranges , which joins with others extending to the west...
in Oriente Province. After the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
of 1 January 1959, Duque was wanted by the revolutionary courts, accused of having committed human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses against the civilian population during his service in Oriente. He fled Cuba, assisted by Pepe San Roman.
During the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, he commanded the Infantry Battalion No.5 of Brigade 2506. He was one of 1,189 members of Brigade 2506 captured by Cuban government forces. Duque was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The Cuban government agreed to release all but nine of them a year later, when the United States ransomed the prisoners for $53 million in food and medicine. Of the other eight, one died in prison, six were later freed and the last prisoner, Ramon Conte Hernandez, remained in prison until 1986.
On June 8, 1986, He was released from prison in Cuba and reunited with his family in Union City, New Jersey
Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2010 United States Census the city had a total population of 66,455. All of the city is on land, an area of...
. He has served as Director and Editor of the newspapers El Cuba Libre and La Semana. He has twice been elected to serve as President of the Union of Former Cuban Political Prisoners.
Duque has been a real estate agent since 1987. He was married to Esther, his wife of fifty years, who died in 2007.