According to one of the marines interviewed as part of the investigation into the detention center abuse scandal, Cuban detainees were severely beaten for almost two hours after they attempted to escape, and one even appeared to have temporarily lost consciousness as a result of the abuse.
The marine, identified in a top-secret reports only as Officer 1, is one of four men who admitted to directly taking part in the beating – which they said happened while the victims were posing no physical threat.
The victims have been identified as Alexander Vasquez, 27, Carlos Pupo, 42, and Yordan Contero, 24. Vasquez was recently taken to hospital with a collapsed lung and broken ribs.
Officer 1 told investigators that on one occasion, he saw a senior officer strike a detainee with a baton. On another instance, he said, the same officer beat docile detainees with a length of PVC pipe as punishment for trying to escape.
The detainees were also reportedly tortured by being sprayed with mace in their eyes and open wounds. Marines also allegedly forced the battered victims to kneels for 30 minutes while the Defence Force used buckets of water to simulate drowning, much like the highly controversial water-boarding method used in the United States.
The report also reveals marines admitting that “at no time” the Cubans were a threat to them, “yet [the marines] still beat them”.
Police are “actively” investigating the beatings.
