Ricardo Alarcón

Alarcón was born in Havana on 21 May 1937. He entered the University of Havana in 1954 and graduated with a degree as a Doctor of Philosophy and Humanities.{{Cite book |author1=Lamrani, Salim |author2=Alarcón, Ricardo | title = United States Against Cuba: The War on Terrorism and the Five Case | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JVAMeNkQfwcC | page = 197 | publisher = Editorial El Viejo Topo | year = 2005 | isbn = 978-84-96356-37-5}} Alarcón became active in the Federation of University Students (FEU), serving as the secretary of culture for the FEU from 1955 to 1956. Alarcón became active in Castro's 26th of July Movement, which was attempting to oust President Fulgencio Batista, in July 1955. Alarcón assisted in the organization of the student apparatus of the guerrilla organization's youth brigade. Alarcón was elected the FEU's Vice President in 1959, and served as the President of the Student Organization from 1961 to 1962. However, unlike the Castros, Alarcón was active in the urban underground resistance, and not the guerrilla movement located in the countryside.{{Cite book | author = Bardach, Ann Louise | author-link = Ann Louise Bardach | title = Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana, and Washington | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=5_BCdYfwqGQC | volume = 3 | page = 205 | publisher = Simon & Schuster | year = 2009 | isbn = 978-1-4165-5150-8 }}

In 1962, the new Castro-led government appointed Alarcón as the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Americas division, where he began his diplomatic career. Between 1966 and 1978, he served as Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Vice-President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, President of the Council of Administration to the United Nations Development Programme, and Vice-President of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. In 1978, Alarcón was promoted to first vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/ASANAC/espanol/presidente.htm Profile at Cuban parliament website] {{in lang|es}}. While serving as Permanent Representative to the UN for a second time, Alarcón was President of the Security Council in February 1990 and July 1991.[https://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/scpres1990.htm "Presidents of the Security Council : 1990-1999"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018015052/http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/scpres1990.htm |date=18 October 2012 }}, UN.org. In 1992, he was made Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in February 1993, he became the President of the National Assembly.

Alarcón took over the office of President of the National Assembly of People's Power in 1993 in what Ben Corbett, a historian, considered a "demotion" from his earlier post as Minister of Foreign Affairs.{{Cite book | author = Corbett, Ben | title = This Is Cuba: An Outlaw Culture Survives | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=sORNzu-XXfUC | page = 256 | publisher = Basic Books | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-0-8133-4224-5}} However, William E. Ratliff and Roger W. Fontaine, in their book, A Strategic Flip-flop in the Caribbean: Lift the Embargo on Cuba, ranks Alarcón as having been the third-most powerful figure in Cuba.{{Cite book |author1=Ratliff, William E. |author2=Fontaine, Roger W. | title = A Strategic Flip-flop in the Caribbean: Lift the Embargo on Cuba | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fz9jQ99bRe8C | page = 68 | publisher = Hoover Press | year = 2000 | isbn = 978-0-8179-4352-3 }}

One year after taking office, Alarcón travelled to the United States as the head of a five-member delegation to talk about the migration issues between the two countries. In a government statement, Alarcón was described as the "best qualified" to deal with such delicate issues as emigration, and his knowledge of the "fundamental causes" to mass emigration from Cuba. Alarcón, along with the Cuban government, believed that the United States economic embargo against Cuba was the main culprit for mass emigration from the country.{{cite news|author=Staff writer|author-link=Staff writer|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/08/31/world/flight-from-cuba-cuba-names-leader-for-talks-with-us.html|title=Flight from Cuba; Cuba Names Leader For Talks With U.S.|access-date=17 February 2011 | location=New York City, New York| work=The New York Times | date=31 August 1994 }} The negotiations were suspended for a while when he abruptly travelled to Cuba to discuss the situation with the Cuban government.{{cite news|author=Lewis, Paul|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/08/world/us-cuban-talks-suspended-as-envoy-returns-to-havana.html|title=U.S.-Cuban Talks Suspended As Envoy Returns to Havana |access-date=17 February 2011 | location=New York City, New York| work=The New York Times | date=8 September 1994 }} After his abrupt return trip to Cuba, he came back to the United States and continued the negotiations. When he returned to the United States, he was more positive in tone, and several Cuban officials told the media that an agreement could be reached.{{cite news|author=Golden, Tim|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/09/world/cuba-in-shift-says-deal-can-be-reached-with-the-us.html|title=Cuba, in Shift, Says Deal Can Be Reached With the U.S. |access-date=17 February 2011 | location=New York City, New York| work=The New York Times | page = 1| date=9 September 1994 }} Alarcón was able to reach an agreement with the United States Government on 9 September 1994, and the United States promised to issue at least 20,000 immigrant visas a year for Cuban citizens seeking to leave their homeland.{{cite news|author=Golden, Tim|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/09/22/world/cuban-official-criticizes-lag-by-the-us-in-issuing-visas.html|title=Cuban Official Criticizes Lag By the U.S. in Issuing Visas. |access-date=17 February 2011 | location=New York City, New York| work=The New York Times | date=22 September 1994 }}

In August 2000, Alarcón was involved in a minor dispute with the United States when he was denied a visa to attend an international conference in New York City. Alarcón lived in Manhattan for over twelve years, but because of his status as a Cuban government official, he was only allowed within a 25-mile radius of the United Nations.{{cite news|author=Staff writer|author-link=Staff writer|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/901925.stm|title=Cuban politician denied US visa|access-date=17 February 2011 | location=London, United Kingdom| publisher=BBC Online | date=29 August 2000 }}

On 2 December 2003, United States Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security John R. Bolton charged that Cuba, along with Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Libya, were "rogue states...whose pursuit of weapons of mass destruction makes them hostile to U.S. interests [and who] will learn that their covert programs will not escape either detection or consequences." In response, Alarcón called Bolton "a liar" and cited U.S. claims pertaining to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in justification of the Iraq War which were later found to be incorrect.{{cite news|author=Staff writer|author-link=Staff writer|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2003/dec/31/20031231-111715-9034r/|title=Cuban leader sees invasion risk as 'real'|access-date=17 February 2011 | location=New York City, New York| work=The New York Times | date=31 December 2003 }}

In 2006, Alarcón stated: "At some moment, US rhetoric changed to talk of democracy... For me, the starting point is the recognition that democracy should begin with Pericles's definition – that society is for the benefit of the majority – and should not be imposed from outside."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/cuba/story/0,,1836031,00.html|title=Propaganda war grips a land crippled by shortages|author=Campbell, Duncan |access-date=17 February 2011 | location=London, United Kingdom | work=The Guardian | date=3 August 2006}} During Fidel Castro's transfer of presidential duties to his brother Raúl Castro, Alarcón told the foreign media that Fidel would be fit to run for re-election to the assembly in January 2008 parliamentary election.{{cite news|author=Staff writer|author-link=Staff writer|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6456747.stm|title=Castro 'to be fit to hold power'|access-date=17 February 2011 | location=London, United Kingdom | publisher=BBC Online | date=15 March 2007}} However, in an interview with the CNN, Alarcón said he was unsure if Fidel would accept the post or not.{{cite news|author=Lacey, Marc|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFDA1E3BF930A15752C0A96E9C8B63&|title=The Americas; Cuba: Will Castro Return? |access-date=17 February 2011 | location=New York City, New York| work=The New York Times | date=23 January 2008 }} Alarcón, in an interview on the topic on who would succeed Fidel Castro, said; "All those who have been trying to fool the world and put out the idea that something terrible would happen in Cuba, that people would take to the streets, that there would be great instability, the door slammed on them and they must have very swollen hands now".{{cite news|author=Miller, Jimmy|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1525878/Succession-talk-fuels-the-Cuban-rumour-mill.html|title=Succession talk fuels the Cuban rumour mill |access-date=17 February 2011 | location=London, United Kingdom| work=The Telegraph | date=8 August 2008 }}

Alarcón was married to Margarita Perea Maza. She died on 9 February 2008.The Miami Herald; "Wife of Cuban Official Dies After Long Illness"; 12 February 2008, Page 7A Alarcón died at the age of 84 on 30 April 2022, his family confirmed. No cause of death was immediately given.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/ricardo-alarcon-key-player-cuba-us-relations-dies-84-rcna26822|title=Ricardo Alarcón, key player in Cuba-U.S. relations, dies at 84| website=NBC News }}

{{Reflist}}

• Ricardo Alarcón and Reinaldo Suarez, Cuba y Su Democracia (Editorial de Ciencias Sociales 2004) {{ISBN|987-1158-06-8}}
• Fidel Castro and Ricardo Alarcón, EE.UU. fuera del oriente medio (Pathfinder Press 2001) {{ISBN|0-87348-625-0}}
• Ricardo Alarcón and Mary Murray, Cuba and the United States: an interview with Cuban Foreign Minister, Ricardo Alaron (Ocean Press 1992) {{ISBN|1-875284-69-9}}

{{Portal|Cuba|Politics}}

• [https://www.marxists.org/archive/alarcon/index.htm Ricardo Alarcón Archive] at marxists.org
• [http://www.pcc.cu/pccweb/glosario/personalidades/alarcon.php Official Biography] – Cuban Communist Party
• [http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/ASANAC/espanol/presidente.htm Official Biography] – Cuban National Assembly
• {{C-SPAN|15407}}

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{{Succession box| before = Isidoro Malmierca Peoli | title = Foreign Minister of Cuba|years=1992–1993| after = Roberto Robaina Gonzalez}}

{{Succession box| title = President of Cuban National Assembly | before = Juan Escalona Reguera | after = Esteban Lazo Hernández | years = 1993–2013}}

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{{Succession box| title = Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations| before = ? | after = Alcibiades Hidalgo | years = 1966–1992 }}

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Category:1937 births

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