Ramón Mercader Biography: Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Awards, Wife, Children

Ramón Mercader was a Spanish communist agent best known for assassinating Leon Trotsky in Mexico on August 20, 1940, using an ice axe.

Born on February 7, 1913, in Catalonia, Spain, Mercader was raised in a politically active family.

He became a secret agent for the Soviet NKVD, which tasked him with infiltrating Trotsky’s inner circle.

Profile

• Full Name: Jaime Ramón Mercader del Río
• Stage Name: Ramón Mercader
• Born: February 7, 1913
• Age at Death: 65 years old
• Birthplace: Argentona, Catalonia, Spain
• Nationality: Spanish
• Occupation: Communist activist, NKVD secret agent
• Height: 6 feet 1 inch (185 cm)
• Parents: Pau Mercader Marina (father), Caridad del Río Hernández (mother)
• Siblings: Jorge, Montserrat, Pablo, Luis
• Spouse: Roquelia Mendoza Buenabad
• Children: Arturo, Laura, Jorge Mercader Mendoza
• Relationship: Married
• Net Worth: $1 million to $2 million

Early Life and Education

Ramón Mercader was born on February 7, 1913, in Argentona, a town in Catalonia, Spain. He was the son of Pau Mercader Marina, a wealthy textile industrialist, and Caridad del Río Hernández, a committed communist activist. His parents’ political ideologies and the separation of his parents during his early childhood played a significant role in shaping his views.

Mercader was the youngest of five siblings: Jorge, Montserrat, Pablo, and Luis, with three other siblings whose names remain less publicly known. Growing up in a politically charged household, Mercader developed an early interest in politics, particularly communism.

Due to his mother’s political activities and their separation from his father, Mercader spent much of his childhood in France, where he was exposed to leftist ideologies and began developing a strong allegiance to the communist cause.

In terms of education, Mercader initially trained at the École Hôtelière in Toulouse, where he pursued a career in hospitality, training to become a maître d’hôtel. His education, however, was overshadowed by his growing commitment to the communist movement, which eventually led to his involvement in espionage and political assassination.

Career

Ramón Mercader’s career was deeply entwined with his involvement in espionage and political assassination, particularly through his work with the Soviet NKVD, which would later become the KGB.

Mercader’s political activism began during the Spanish Civil War, when he supported communist factions. After the war, he joined the Soviet NKVD, the secret police and intelligence agency of the Soviet Union, which had close ties with the communist cause. The NKVD recruited and trained Mercader for covert operations, primarily focusing on targeting those seen as enemies of the Soviet state.

In the late 1930s, Mercader was tasked with infiltrating the inner circle of Leon Trotsky, a former Bolshevik leader exiled to Mexico after falling out of favor with Joseph Stalin. Trotsky was a significant figure in the opposition to Stalin’s regime, and the Soviet leadership deemed his elimination essential.

Mercader was tasked with gaining Trotsky’s trust, which he did by posing as a Spanish Marxist sympathizer named Jacques Mornard. He successfully infiltrated Trotsky’s household and became close to the leader.

On August 20, 1940, Mercader carried out his mission by attacking Trotsky with an ice axe, fatally wounding him. Trotsky died the following day, and Mexican authorities arrested Mercader.

Mercader was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the assassination. During his time in jail, he received recognition from the Soviet Union, which later honored him with the Hero of the Soviet Union medal and the Order of Lenin for eliminating Trotsky.

After serving nearly two decades, Mercader was released from prison in 1960. He was given a hero’s welcome in the Soviet Union, where he lived for a time, and also spent periods in Czechoslovakia and Cuba.

Though his work had earned him high praise from the Soviets, Mercader’s life was largely spent in obscurity following his release. Due to the controversial nature of his past, he remained a low-profile figure.

Mercader’s career was marked by his deep commitment to Soviet communism, which he pursued at significant personal cost, ultimately becoming one of the most notorious assassins in modern history.

Awards and Nominations

• Hero of the Soviet Union (1960)
• Order of Lenin

Personal Life

Ramón Mercader was married to Roquelia Mendoza Buenabad, and the couple remained together for several years until his death on October 18, 1978.

They had a family together and were parents to four children: Arturo, Laura, and Jorge Mercader Mendoza. In terms of his height, Ramón Mercader stood at approximately 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall.

Net Worth

Ramón Mercader’s net Worth is estimated to be between $1 million and $2 million. While his income sources were primarily tied to his work as a communist agent and his association with the Soviet NKVD, Mercader did not have a traditional career or public-facing business ventures that would generate significant wealth.

His financial standing came primarily from his involvement in espionage, his pension as a Soviet hero, and the various rewards and recognitions the Soviet Union gave him after the successful assassination of Leon Trotsky.