Spanish Communist, NKVD agent, and assassin of Leon Trotsky. Ramon and his mother were both followers of Communism, and he followed her to Moscow after the start the Spanish Civil War to train in sabotage, guerilla warfare, and assassination. He was selected by his NKVD bosses to be the assassin of Trotsky, a longtime thorn in the side of Josef Stalin, even in exile. In October 1939, he slipped into Mexico. After an elaborate trap set by himself and others failed on May 24, 1940, a second, more simple attempt was planned. He befriended a secretary of Trotsky's under his fake name, and soon began to meet Leon personally in the guise of a Canadian supporter of his ideals. On August 20th, Mercader stabbed Trotsky in the back of the head several times with an icepick while Leon was working. Guards busted in, but Mercader's life was spared by Trotsky himself, a historian to his final moments, who cried out "Do not kill him, this man has a story to tell!". Although Mercader refused to give his real name, Leon died in less than 24 hours and Mercader was convicted of murder and served 20 years in prison. He was released in 1960 and moved to Havana, staying only a year before returning to the USSR and being awarded the "Hero of the Soviet Union" medal. The rest of his life was spent moving back and forth between Cuba and the USSR, revered by the KGB, succesor of the NKVD. He died in 1978 and his remains were returned to the USSR by a woman he had met. He given a hero's burial in Moscow's Kuntsevo Cemtery.
Spanish Communist, NKVD agent, and assassin of Leon Trotsky. Ramon and his mother were both followers of Communism, and he followed her to Moscow after the start the Spanish Civil War to train in sabotage, guerilla warfare, and assassination. He was selected by his NKVD bosses to be the assassin of Trotsky, a longtime thorn in the side of Josef Stalin, even in exile. In October 1939, he slipped into Mexico. After an elaborate trap set by himself and others failed on May 24, 1940, a second, more simple attempt was planned. He befriended a secretary of Trotsky's under his fake name, and soon began to meet Leon personally in the guise of a Canadian supporter of his ideals. On August 20th, Mercader stabbed Trotsky in the back of the head several times with an icepick while Leon was working. Guards busted in, but Mercader's life was spared by Trotsky himself, a historian to his final moments, who cried out "Do not kill him, this man has a story to tell!". Although Mercader refused to give his real name, Leon died in less than 24 hours and Mercader was convicted of murder and served 20 years in prison. He was released in 1960 and moved to Havana, staying only a year before returning to the USSR and being awarded the "Hero of the Soviet Union" medal. The rest of his life was spent moving back and forth between Cuba and the USSR, revered by the KGB, succesor of the NKVD. He died in 1978 and his remains were returned to the USSR by a woman he had met. He given a hero's burial in Moscow's Kuntsevo Cemtery.
Bio by: Mongoose
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