Raúl Roa García (18 April 19076 July 1982) was a Cuban
intellectual
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...
,
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
and
diplomat
A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...
. He served as
Foreign Minister of Cuba
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba () is a Council of Ministers (Cuba), cabinet Minister (government), minister in charge of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Cuba), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, responsible for conductin ...
from 1959 to 1976. He was a lawyer and was also a university professor in the 1940s and 1950s. He was also Director of Culture of the Ministry of Education from 1949 to 1951.
Born in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Jose Marti
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph.
Given name Mishnaic and Talmudic periods
* Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galilean
* Jose ben Hala ...
"). In 1926, while studying law he was jailed for protesting the U.S. intervention in Nicaragua.
In 1927, he met
Rubén Martínez Villena
Rubén Agnelio Martínez Villena (December 20, 1899 – January 16, 1934) was a Cuban people, Cuban writer, lawyer, and Cuban Revolution, revolutionary leader. He was the ringleader of the Protest of the Thirteen, the first protest of the Cuban in ...
who instructed him more on social problems. Additionally, he participated with other anti-imperialist youths and revolutionaries at Universidad Popular José Martí and the Liga Antimperialista. He was also writing for the magazine '' Revista de Avance'' and the weekly paper ''Otro''.
In the 1930s, he wrote for ''Directorio Estudiantil Revolucionario'' where he crystallized his Marxist-Leninist beliefs.
Roa entered the Ala Izquierda Estudiantil in 1931. In this organization, much more radical, he positions himself more clearly on the necessity of the fight for the sovereignty of Cuba and against imperialism. His writings at this time reflect his firm idea in an armed rebellion. He is arrested and sent to prison.
He left prison in 1933 and wrote ''Manifiesto al pueblo de Cuba''. He participated in the general strike of 1933 that led to the ouster of
Gerardo Machado
Gerardo Machado y Morales (28 September 1869 – 29 March 1939) was a general of the Cuban War of Independence and President of Cuba from 1925 to 1933.
Machado was elected president in 1924 as the leader of the Liberal Party, a moderate reform ...
. In March 1935, he was exiled to the United States. There he united with people such as
Pablo de la Torriente Brau
Pablo de la Torriente Brau ( San Juan de Puerto Rico, December 12, 1901 – Majadahonda, near Madrid, Spain, December 19, 1936) was a Cuban writer, journalist and soldier.
He was a correspondent in Spain, writing for the Mexican newspaper '' ...
and founded the organization, Organización Revolucionaria Cubana Antiimperialista (ORCA).
He kept good relations with other Latin American countries and also signed an anti-hijacking agreement with the United States in 1973.
He died in
Havana
Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Ada Kouri Barreto. Their son, Raúl Roa Kouri, is also a diplomat and has served as Cuba's ambassador to the
Holy See
The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...
and Cuba's representative to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...
. His grandfather was Lieutenant Coronel Ramón Roa Gari of the Cuban Liberation Army.