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| '''Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández''' (], ] – ], ]) was a ] ] who served as a foreign agent of the ] during ]'s time as ruler of the ]. In that role, he became famous as the ] of Stalin's great rival, ]. |
'''Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández''' (], ] – ], ]) was a ] ] who served as a foreign agent of the ] during ]'s time as ruler of the ]. In that role, he became famous as the ] of Stalin's great rival, ]. | ||
| Trotsky’s assassin, Jaime Ramón Mercader, born in 1914 in ] the son of Caridad Mercader (Eustacia María Caridad del Río Hernández) said to born in Cuba , this does not conflict with the her commonly thought, Spanish or specifically ] origens because she was born, as was ], in Cuba before Cuban Independence. Moving from Spain Mercader spent much of his youth in ] with his mother. after his parents separated. | |||
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| Caridad Mercader is also said to have been involved in planning ot an earlier failed assault on the Trotsky residence in Mexico City, along with ], and ] . This datum very strongly suggests that she held a seniority among Stalin's wet agents in Mexico; this has potential conflict with reports she was not a communist until after her son became one. | |||
| The elaborate assault in a trap set by Caridad Mercader, ] and other NKVD operatives in Mexico City failed on ], ], and a second attempt was planned in which ] was involved. | |||
| Mercader was born in 1914 in ], but spent much of his youth in ] with his mother, Eustacia María Caridad del Río Hernández, after his parents separated. | |||
| ⚫ | His superiors at the NKVD selected him to assassinate Trotsky, who had left the USSR many years earlier after losing a power struggle to Stalin, but who had continued to antagonize the Soviet leader with his writings from exile. In October ], Mercader slipped into ] with a fake passport identifying himself as "Frank Jacson" (sic), a ] citizen. |
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| As a young man, he embraced ], helping leftist organizations in Spain during the mid-1930s. He was briefly imprisoned for his activities, but was released when a left-wing government took control of the country in ]. | |||
| ⚫ | By this time, his mother had become a Soviet agent herself, and Ramón followed in her footsteps, traveling to ] shortly before the outbreak of the ] to train in the arts of ], ] and ]. He was given the codename "Gnome" by his superiors. | ||
| ⚫ | His superiors at the NKVD selected him to assassinate Trotsky, who had left the USSR many years earlier after losing a power struggle to Stalin, but who had continued to antagonize the Soviet leader with his writings from exile. In October ], Mercader slipped into ] with a fake passport identifying himself as "Frank Jacson" (sic), a ] citizen. | ||
| ⚫ | This time, "Jacson", who had avoided raising suspicion during the first attempt on Trotsky's life, befriended an unmarried secretary of Trotsky's. Through her, he began to meet with Trotsky personally, in the guise of a Canadian supporter of Trotsky's ideas. On ], Mercader fatally wounded Trotsky with an ice axe in his study at his home in ] (then a village on the southern fringes of ]). Trotsky's guards burst in and nearly killed Mercader, but their leader ordered them to spare his life, yelling "Do not kill him! This man has a story to tell." | ||
| ⚫ | An elaborate trap set by Mercader and other NKVD operatives in Mexico City failed on ], ], and a second attempt was planned. This time, "Jacson", who had avoided raising suspicion during the first attempt on Trotsky's life, befriended an unmarried secretary of Trotsky's. Through her, he began to meet with Trotsky personally, in the guise of a Canadian supporter of Trotsky's ideas. On ], Mercader fatally wounded Trotsky with an ice axe in his study at his home in ] (then a village on the southern fringes of ]). Trotsky's guards burst in and nearly killed Mercader, but their leader ordered them to spare his life, yelling "Do not kill him! This man has a story to tell." | ||
| He was turned over to the Mexican authorities, to whom he refused to give up his real identity. Nevertheless, he was convicted of ] and sentenced to 20 years in ]. It was not until August ] that his true identity was discovered, and his NKVD connections were not revealed until after the fall of the Soviet Union. | He was turned over to the Mexican authorities, to whom he refused to give up his real identity. Nevertheless, he was convicted of ] and sentenced to 20 years in ]. It was not until August ] that his true identity was discovered, and his NKVD connections were not revealed until after the fall of the Soviet Union. | ||
| After the first few years in prison, he requested release on parole, which was denied by Dr. Jesús Siordia and criminologist Q. Cuarón. |
After the first few years in prison, he requested release on parole, which was denied by Dr. Jesús Siordia and criminologist Q. Cuarón. | ||
| He was released from Mexico City's ] prison on ], ] and moved to ], where ]'s Communist government welcomed him. In ], he moved to the USSR and was awarded the ] medal, one of the country's highest decorations. He split time between Cuba and the USSR for the rest of his life, revered by the ] (the successor to the NKVD), and died in Havana in 1978. | |||
| He is buried (under the name of Ramón Ivanovich López) in Moscow's ] and has a place of honor in the KGB's museum in the Russian capital. | He is buried (under the name of Ramón Ivanovich López) in Moscow's ] and has a place of honor in the KGB's museum in the Russian capital. | ||
Revision as of 17:18, 13 December 2005
Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río Hernández (February 7, 1914 – October 18, 1978) was a Spanish Communist who served as a foreign agent of the NKVD during Joseph Stalin's time as ruler of the USSR. In that role, he became famous as the assassin of Stalin's great rival, Leon Trotsky.
Mercader was born in 1914 in Barcelona, but spent much of his youth in France with his mother, Eustacia María Caridad del Río Hernández, after his parents separated. As a young man, he embraced Communism, helping leftist organizations in Spain during the mid-1930s. He was briefly imprisoned for his activities, but was released when a left-wing government took control of the country in 1936.
By this time, his mother had become a Soviet agent herself, and Ramón followed in her footsteps, traveling to Moscow shortly before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War to train in the arts of sabotage, guerrilla warfare and assassination. He was given the codename "Gnome" by his superiors.
His superiors at the NKVD selected him to assassinate Trotsky, who had left the USSR many years earlier after losing a power struggle to Stalin, but who had continued to antagonize the Soviet leader with his writings from exile. In October 1939, Mercader slipped into Mexico with a fake passport identifying himself as "Frank Jacson" (sic), a Canadian citizen.
An elaborate trap set by Mercader and other NKVD operatives in Mexico City failed on May 24, 1940, and a second attempt was planned. This time, "Jacson", who had avoided raising suspicion during the first attempt on Trotsky's life, befriended an unmarried secretary of Trotsky's. Through her, he began to meet with Trotsky personally, in the guise of a Canadian supporter of Trotsky's ideas. On August 20, Mercader fatally wounded Trotsky with an ice axe in his study at his home in Coyoacán (then a village on the southern fringes of Mexico City). Trotsky's guards burst in and nearly killed Mercader, but their leader ordered them to spare his life, yelling "Do not kill him! This man has a story to tell."
He was turned over to the Mexican authorities, to whom he refused to give up his real identity. Nevertheless, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. It was not until August 1953 that his true identity was discovered, and his NKVD connections were not revealed until after the fall of the Soviet Union.
After the first few years in prison, he requested release on parole, which was denied by Dr. Jesús Siordia and criminologist Q. Cuarón. He was released from Mexico City's Lecumberri prison on May 6, 1960 and moved to Havana, where Fidel Castro's Communist government welcomed him. In 1961, he moved to the USSR and was awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union medal, one of the country's highest decorations. He split time between Cuba and the USSR for the rest of his life, revered by the KGB (the successor to the NKVD), and died in Havana in 1978.
He is buried (under the name of Ramón Ivanovich López) in Moscow's Kuntsevo Cemetery and has a place of honor in the KGB's museum in the Russian capital.