Biography of Ramon Mercader

Agent of the NKVD, Assassin of L. Trotsky

Ramon Mercader del Rio Hernandez, better known as Ramon Mercader, was an agent of the NKVD who forever etched his name in the history of the 20th century as the assassin of one of the founding members of the Soviet Union, Lev Trotsky. On August 20, 1940, Mercader brutally murdered Trotsky with an ice axe.

Mercader's full name was Ramon Mercader del Rio Hernandez. His involvement in this infamous event has been extensively documented, so there is no need to retell the well-known facts. However, it is worth mentioning that Mercader was sentenced to 20 years in prison for Trotsky's assassination and was released on May 6, 1960. The Soviet government highly praised Mercader's actions, and after his release, he was secretly transported to the USSR.

On May 31, 1960, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded Mercader the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On June 6, 1961, he was presented with the Golden Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin. For several years, Mercader worked at the Institute of Marxism-Leninism under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Later, upon the invitation of Fidel Castro, Mercader relocated to Cuba, where he served as an advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He remained there until his death in 1978 in Havana. According to his last will, Mercader was buried in Moscow at the Kuntsevo Cemetery. His tombstone bears the name "Lopez Ramon Ivanovich" and below it, in Latin letters, "Ramon Mercader del Rio."

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