Africa de las Heras 2019 stamp of Russia

África de las Heras Gavilán (26 April 1909 – 8 March 1988) was a Spanish-born

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

and naturalized Soviet citizen who was born in

Ceuta Ceuta (, , ; ) is an Autonomous communities of Spain#Autonomous cities, autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast. Bordered by Morocco, it lies along the boundary between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta is one of th ...

and died in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. She was a secret service agent who went by the code name "Patria", but also used the names "María Luisa de las Heras de Darbat","María de la Sierra","Patricia", "Ivonne", "María de las Heras", "Znoi" and "María Pavlovna". Originally a member of the

Communist Party of Spain The Communist Party of Spain (; PCE) is a communist party that, since 1986, has been part of the United Left coalition, which is currently part of Sumar. Two of its politicians are Spanish government ministers: Yolanda Díaz (Minister of L ...

, de las Heras participated in various Soviet intelligence operations both during and after the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

. Though she had been exhibited by Pavel Sudoplatov as the secretary of Trotsky in Norway and in Mexico, the number of assassination teams to kill Trotsky that were assisted by de las Heras, was never known. Later she stopped her own direct actions and their support and trained other KGB agents in Moscow.

References

Monforte, Reyes: La Violonista Roja. Debolsillo, 2023.
1909 births 1988 deaths Spanish communists People from Ceuta Spanish people of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) KGB officers Exiles of the Spanish Civil War in the Soviet Union Spanish women Spanish spies Soviet spies Women spies Spanish women of the Spanish Civil War (Republican faction) Women in the Spanish Civil War Soviet people of Spanish descent Female wartime spies {{SpanishCivilWar-stub