Gustavo Arcos
Encyclopedia
Gustavo Arcos Bergnes was a fellow Cuba
n revolutionary alongside Fidel Castro
who later became an imprisoned dissident of the government. Arcos has been described as "a symbol of the opposition, and the dean of the opposition".
Born in the small town of Caibarién
, Arcos met Castro while the two attended law school at the University of Havana
. He participated in the 1953 attack on Moncada Barracks
that jump-started the Cuban Revolution
against then-leader Fulgencio Batista
, where he suffered a gunshot wound to the back that partially disabled his right leg and left him a legacy of life-long pain.
Freed under a pardon, Arcos spent the next several years gathering support, money, and munitions throughout Mexico
, South America
, and the United States
. Following the success of the revolution in 1959, Arcos became Cuba's ambassador to Belgium
. However, while Arcos was away, he grew disillusioned both by Cuba's alliance with the Soviet Union
, and what he saw to be the dictatorial tendencies of Fidel Castro.
Upon his return, he began expressing dissent against Castro and the Cuban government. In response, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years as a counterrevolutionary. He was released after a long hunger strike in 1969, but his request to leave the country was refused.
An illegal attempt to leave the country put Arcos in jail again in 1981. He was released in 1988, and quickly became the executive secretary of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights, which he had joined in the early 1980s. His brother, Sebastian Arcos Bergnes
was appointed vice-President of the Committee and was responsible for expanding it from a small Havana-based group into a nationwide organization. Gustavo decided not to leave Cuba and spent the rest of his life trying to improve human rights in the island and promoting a peaceful transition to democracy, stoically suffering repeated harassment, arrests, and "acts of repudiation".
Arcos died on August 8, 2006 after an illness. He was 79. In a number of respects his life story resembles that of Mario Chanes de Armas
, another Moncada veteran.
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n revolutionary alongside Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
who later became an imprisoned dissident of the government. Arcos has been described as "a symbol of the opposition, and the dean of the opposition".
Born in the small town of Caibarién
Caibarién
Caibarién is a municipality city in the Villa Clara province of Cuba.Caibarien is known as "La Villa Blanca" for its sands and beaches. They are famous for their "Parrandas" along with Remedios and Camajuani.-History:The town was founded on October 26, 1832 from a map designed by Estratón Bauza...
, Arcos met Castro while the two attended law school at the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
. He participated in the 1953 attack on Moncada Barracks
Moncada Barracks
The Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermón Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence. On July 26, 1953, the barracks was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. This armed attack is widely accepted...
that jump-started the Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution
The Cuban Revolution was an armed revolt by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement against the regime of Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista between 1953 and 1959. Batista was finally ousted on 1 January 1959, and was replaced by a revolutionary government led by Castro...
against then-leader Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
, where he suffered a gunshot wound to the back that partially disabled his right leg and left him a legacy of life-long pain.
Freed under a pardon, Arcos spent the next several years gathering support, money, and munitions throughout Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Following the success of the revolution in 1959, Arcos became Cuba's ambassador to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. However, while Arcos was away, he grew disillusioned both by Cuba's alliance with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and what he saw to be the dictatorial tendencies of Fidel Castro.
Upon his return, he began expressing dissent against Castro and the Cuban government. In response, he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years as a counterrevolutionary. He was released after a long hunger strike in 1969, but his request to leave the country was refused.
An illegal attempt to leave the country put Arcos in jail again in 1981. He was released in 1988, and quickly became the executive secretary of the Cuban Committee for Human Rights, which he had joined in the early 1980s. His brother, Sebastian Arcos Bergnes
Sebastian Arcos Bergnes
Sebastian Arcos Bergnes was a Cuban human rights activist. A prominent Cuban dissident, he was openly adverserial to the dictatorships of Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista.-Life and career:...
was appointed vice-President of the Committee and was responsible for expanding it from a small Havana-based group into a nationwide organization. Gustavo decided not to leave Cuba and spent the rest of his life trying to improve human rights in the island and promoting a peaceful transition to democracy, stoically suffering repeated harassment, arrests, and "acts of repudiation".
Arcos died on August 8, 2006 after an illness. He was 79. In a number of respects his life story resembles that of Mario Chanes de Armas
Mario Chanes de Armas
Mario Chanes de Armas was a former Cuban revolutionary and ally of Fidel Castro. He was a veteran of the attack on the Moncada barracks in July 1953 and served time in Batista's New Model Prison on the Isle of Pines with fellow revolutionary Fidel Castro...
, another Moncada veteran.
External links
- Obituary (Houston Chronicle)
- http://www.fiu.edu/~fcf/gustav.html