Nicolás Estévanez

Who was Nicolás Estévanez?

Nicolás Estévanez Murphy was a Spanish military officer, politician and poet.

Born in Las Palmas on 17 February 1838 the son of captain Francisco Estévanez and of Isabel Murphy. Very young, in 1852, he entered the military academy in Toledo and participated in the northern African war of 1859–1860 where he served with distinction and was awarded Spain’s highest military honor, the Laureate Cross of St. Ferdinand.

On 27 November 1871 he was stationed in Cuba with the rank of captain when he was ordered to carry out the execution of eight students who had been sentenced to death by a court martial who found them guilty of anti-Spanish activities and of vandalizing some tomb sites.

Estévanez refused to carry out the order saying “before my country come humanity and justice.” [Not confirmed. - See talk page.] To this day, in the façade of the Hotel Inglaterra in Havana, Cuba, there is a plaque bearing his name and commemorating his refusal to carry out the orders of execution.

For this motive he was expelled from the army but he never apologized or renounced his actions and was always proud of what he did.