Julio Antonio Mella - The Mystery of The Murder of Julio Mella

The Mystery of The Murder of Julio Mella

Many political murders, often of communist backsliders and other "heretics" such as Trotskyists, have been attributed to Vidale's "bloody hand." Outside of Cuba, the murder of Julio Mella is commonly believed to be one of them. The love triangle of Mella, Vidale and Modotti is immortalized in Diego Rivera's mural "In the Arsenal.". The extreme right of the mural shows the beautiful photographer and silent film actress Tina Modotti holding a belt of ammunition. Vidale's face, partly hidden, stares suspiciously from under a black hat, as he peers over her shoulder, while Modotti gazes lovingly at Julio Antonio Mella (shown with light colored hat).

Given the closeness of Diego Rivera to the people involved some consider this fresco painting to be evidence of Vidale's and Rivera's involvement in Mella's assassination and this work of art is believed by many to relate to Rivera's expulsion from the Mexican Communist Party.

Mella had rejoined the communist party just two weeks prior to his death, although this circumstance like much else related to Vidale is murky.

The Mella assassination illustrates the complexity of those times and demonstrates Vidale and his "manager's" skill at obfuscation and covering his tracks. Officially José Agustín López (said to have no particular political affiliations), was charged with Mella’s murder, but two other known killers, Jose Magriñat and Antonio Sanabría were also suspected. The police investigating this crime were given conflicting eyewitness reports. In one version, Mella and Modotti were walking alone, in another Vidale was said to be walking with Mella and Tina Modotti. Since Mella's wounds were from point blank range, neither Modotti or Vidale were injured, and Modotti gave a false name to the investigators, the police were suspicious of her alibi. Modotti was arrested, but soon released. Magriñat, who had also been arrested was then released. Apparently a loose end, he was ultimately killed in Cuba by “Communists” in 1933 (Albers, 2002).

The official position of the present Cuban government is still that Mella was killed at Gerardo Machado's orders, but it admits that Tina Modotti was a Stalinist operative who operated in a number of countries. Yet there are some even in Cuba who seem to believe that Vidale did it. Adding to the mystery, according to Abers (2002), both Magriñat, and Diego Rivera who had just returned from Cuba had warned Mella that he was in danger.