Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja
{{Short description|Cuban military officer (1960–2022)}}
{{Expand French|topic=bio| Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja|date=July 2022}}
{{Family name hatnote|Rodríguez|López {{dubious|date=January 2025}}Calleja|lang=Spanish}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}
Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja (19 January 1960{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/chief-cubas-military-businesses-castro-law-dies-86088918|title=Chief of Cuba's military businesses, ex-Castro in-law dies|work=ABC News|author=Associated Press|date=1 July 2022|access-date=1 July 2022}} – 1 July 2022) was a Cuban military general, businessman and politician.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuban-general-lopez-calleja-dead-heart-attack-state-media-says-2022-07-01/|title=Cuban general Lopez-Calleja dead of heart attack, state media says|website=Reuters|date=1 July 2022|access-date=1 July 2022}} He was the head of Cuba's state-run enterprise GAESA and has been described as one of Cuba's most powerful people.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-01/rodriguez-lopez-calleja-cuba-s-power-in-the-shadows-dies-at-62 |title=Rodriguez Lopez-Calleja, Cuba's Power in the Shadows, Dies at 62|website=Bloomberg.com|date=July 2022 |access-date=28 July 2022}} A key member of Cuba's Central Committee of the Communist Party, he was once married to Raúl Castro's daughter Deborah. He died on 1 July 2022, of a heart attack.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/cuban-general-lopez-calleja-dead-heart-attack-state-media-says-2022-07-01/|title=Cuban general Lopez-Calleja dead of heart attack, state media says|date=2 July 2022|access-date=28 July 2022|website=Reuters.com}}
Biography
Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja was born on 19 January 1960 in Santa Clara.{{Cite web|title=Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja|url=https://www.parlamentocubano.gob.cu/index.php/luis-alberto-rodriguez-lopez-callejas|agency=Assemblée nationale du pouvoir populaire|language=es|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518070548/https://www.parlamentocubano.gob.cu/index.php/luis-alberto-rodriguez-lopez-callejas|archive-date=18 May 2022|publication-date=}}. He was the son of the general Guillermo Rodríguez del Pozo (1929–2016), a companion of the Castro brothers during the Cuban Revolution.{{In lang|es}} [https://www.cibercuba.com/tags/luis-alberto-rodriguez-lopez-callejas Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Callejas.] Cibercuba.{{In lang|es}} [https://diariodecuba.com/cuba/1469371271_24088.html Muere el general Guillermo Rodríguez, padre del poderoso yerno de Raúl Castro que dirige GAESA.] Diario de Cuba, 24 juillet 2016. The overall biography of Rodríguez López-Calleja is little known. He is rarely quoted in the Cuban media and rarely photographed.{{In lang|en}} [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2015-09-30/want-to-invest-in-cuba-meet-your-partner-castro-s-son-in-law Want to Do Business in Cuba? Prepare to Partner with the General.] Bloomberg, 30 septembre 2015.
In 2011, Rodríguez López-Calleja, then colonel, joined the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.[https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2012/11/03/le-fils-de-raul-castro-vrp-de-cuba-a-la-tele-russe_1785176_3210.html Le fils de Raul Castro VRP de Cuba à la télé russe.] Le Monde, 3 novembre 2012.
Rodríguez López-Calleja headed the financial arm of the Cuban Armed Forces, known as GAESA. This conglomerate of public companies controls hotels, factories, stores, an airline, telecommunications companies and even the port area of Mariel.{{use American English|date=July 2022}} [https://apnews.com/article/business-cuba-airlines-elections-campaigns-3c109a0eaaeff545236f04450cbd55fa « US imposes sanctions on Cuba's Raul Castro's son-in-law. »], Associated Press, 30 septembre 2020.Mathieu Castagnet [https://www.la-croix.com/Economie/Monde/Donald-Trump-sen-prend-larmee-cubaine-acteur-economique-cle-lile-2017-06-18-1200855932 « Donald Trump s’en prend à l’armée cubaine, acteur économique clé de l’île. »], La Croix, 18 juin 2017.
In September 2020, US authorities decided to apply sanctions against Rodríguez López-Calleja as director of the GAESA business conglomerate. According to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “Revenues generated from GASEA's economic activities are used to oppress the Cuban people and to finance Cuba's colonial domination of Venezuela”.AFP [https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/sanctions-americaines-contre-un-general-cubain-20201001 Sanctions américaines contre un général cubain.] Le Figaro, 1 octobre 2020.
During the VIII Congress of the Cuban Communist Party, which took place from 16 to 19 April 2021, Rodríguez López-Calleja joined the Political Bureau, the highest authority of the Party, composed of 14 members.[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1786032/miguel-diaz-canel-tete-parti-communiste-raul-castro Miguel Diaz-Canel prend la tête du Parti communiste à Cuba.] Radio Canada, 19 avril 2021.{{In lang|en}} [http://en.granma.cu/cuba/2021-04-19/miguel-diaz-canel-bermudez-elected-as-first-secretary-of-the-communist-party-of-cuba-central-committee Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez elected as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee.] Granma, 19 April 2021.
Rodríguez López-Calleja died on 1 July 2022, officially from cardiovascular failure,{{Cite web|title=Falleció el general de división Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Calleja, miembro del Buró Político del PCC|url=http://www.cubadebate.cu/noticias/2022/07/01/fallecio-el-general-de-division-luis-alberto-rodriguez-lopez-calleja-miembro-del-buro-politico-del-pcc/|website=cubadebate.cu|language=es|date=1 July 2022|access-date=2 July 2022}} unofficially from lung cancer.{{Cite web|title=Falleció Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Callejas, presidente ejecutivo de Gaesa|url=https://eltoque.com/fallecio-luis-alberto-rodriguez-lopez-callejas-presidente-ejecutivo-de-gaesa|website=eltoque.com|language=es|date=1 July 2022|access-date=2 July 2022}}.
In the 1990s, Rodríguez López-Calleja married Deborah Castro Espín, eldest daughter of Raúl Castro. A graduate in chemical engineering, she is the mother of his two children: Vilma Rodríguez Castro and Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro. The latter is in charge of the personal protection cell of his grandfather Raúl Castro. After his divorce from Déborah Castro, Rodríguez López-Calleja maintained good relations with his former father-in-law Raúl Castro.{{In lang|es}} [https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/cuba-es/article250791474.html Se reestructura el poder en Cuba y dos militares sancionados por EEUU ascienden al Buró Politico.] El Nuevo Herald, 19 avril 2021.{{In lang|es}} Juan Jesús Aznarez [https://elpais.com/economia/2015/10/15/actualidad/1444930825_755592.html El hombre más buscado de Cuba.] El País, 18 octobre 2015.{{In lang|es}} [https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/eeuu-cuba--reacciones-_retirada-de-ra%C3%BAl-castro-es-un-mero--traspaso-burocr%C3%A1tico---dicen-expertos/46541948 Retirada de Raúl Castro es un mero "traspaso burocrático", dicen expertos.] Swiss Info, 16 avril 2021.
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Category:Cuban military personnel