Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado
Encyclopedia
Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado (April 17, 1919 – June 23, 1983) was a Cuba
n politician
who served as the President of Cuba from July 17, 1959 until December 2, 1976.
, Las Villas Province, on April 17, 1919. His father was both a lawyer
and a physician
, and one of his ancestors was Tomas Terry
, a famous Venezuelan-born entrepreneur who amassed one of the largest fortunes in the Western Hemisphere
($25 million at the time of his death in 1886), who established the Thomas Terry Theatre in Cienfuegos. After working briefly as a teacher
, Dorticós studied law
and philosophy
at the University of Havana
, graduating with a law degree in 1941. He joined the Communist-controlled Popular Socialist Party
, and acted for a time as secretary to Juan Marinello, the party's leader.
In the 1950s, Dorticós established a prosperous law practice in Cienfuegos
, and served as Commodore of the Cienfuegos Yacht
Club. He strongly opposed the government of Fulgencio Batista
, and participated in the Civil Resistance Movement, supplying the rebel forces with arms and supplies. Dorticós was elected dean of the Cuban Bar Association
in 1958 prior to being arrested by the Batista regime in the same year and being briefly exiled to Mexico
.
on 1 January 1959, Dorticós returned to Cuba and was appointed Minister
of Revolutionary Laws in the cabinet headed by Fidel Castro
. In that capacity, he played an important role in drafting revolutionary legislation such as the Agrarian Reform Act
and the Fundamental Organic Law that supplanted the Constitution of 1940
. After the resignation of President Manuel Urrutia
, Dorticós was appointed President of Cuba
by the Council of Ministers
on 17 July 1959.
As President, Dorticós represented Cuba at the Summit of Non-Aligned Nations
in Belgrade
, Yugoslavia
(1961), and at the Summit
of the Organisation of American States in Punta del Este
, Uruguay
(1962). During the Cuban Missile Crisis
of 1962, Dorticós gave a speech at the United Nations
in which he announced that Cuba possessed nuclear weapons, which it hoped would never be used. He was at the inauguration of Peronist President Héctor Cámpora
on 25 May 1973, in Buenos Aires
, along with Chilean President Salvador Allende
.
In addition to acting as Cuba's President, Dorticós served as a member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of Cuba
(from 1965); and as president of the Central Planning
Council (from 1964). Upon implementation of the Cuban Constitution of 1976, Fidel Castro
became Cuba's Head of State
in 1976, and Dorticós was displaced and named President of the National Bank and a member of the Council of State
. He served in those capacities until his death by suicide on 23 June 1983. His suicide (by a self-inflicted gunshot wound) was apparently brought on by the death of his wife, as well as chronic spinal disease.
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 politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as the President of Cuba from July 17, 1959 until December 2, 1976.
Background
Dorticós was born to a wealthy family in CienfuegosCienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
, Las Villas Province, on April 17, 1919. His father was both a lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, and one of his ancestors was Tomas Terry
Tomás Terry
Tomás Terry y Adán was a Cuban business magnate.Of Venezuelan origin, Terry initially became involved in the slave trade in Cuba, making his first $10,000 by buying sick slaves, nursing them back to health, and then reselling them healthy for a large profit. He bought the Caracas sugar mill for...
, a famous Venezuelan-born entrepreneur who amassed one of the largest fortunes in the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
($25 million at the time of his death in 1886), who established the Thomas Terry Theatre in Cienfuegos. After working briefly as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, Dorticós studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
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...
, graduating with a law degree in 1941. He joined the Communist-controlled Popular Socialist Party
Popular Socialist Party (Cuba)
The Popular Socialist Party was a communist party in Cuba. Originally called the Communist Party of Cuba , it was formed in the 1925 by a group including Blas Roca, Anibal Escalante, Fabio Grobart and Julio Antonio Mella, who acted as its leader until his assassination in Mexico in 1929. It was...
, and acted for a time as secretary to Juan Marinello, the party's leader.
In the 1950s, Dorticós established a prosperous law practice in Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a city on the southern coast of Cuba, capital of Cienfuegos Province. It is located about from Havana, and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur...
, and served as Commodore of the Cienfuegos Yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
Club. He strongly opposed the government of 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....
, and participated in the Civil Resistance Movement, supplying the rebel forces with arms and supplies. Dorticós was elected dean of the Cuban Bar Association
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1958 prior to being arrested by the Batista regime in the same year and being briefly exiled to 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...
.
Roles in government
After the success of the RevolutionCuban 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...
on 1 January 1959, Dorticós returned to Cuba and was appointed Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of Revolutionary Laws in the cabinet headed by 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...
. In that capacity, he played an important role in drafting revolutionary legislation such as the Agrarian Reform Act
Agrarian Reform Laws of Cuba
The agrarian reform laws of Cuba sought to break up large landholdings and redistribute land to those peasants who worked it, to cooperatives, and the state. Laws relating to land reform were implemented in a series of laws passed between 1959 and 1963 after the Cuban Revolution...
and the Fundamental Organic Law that supplanted the Constitution of 1940
1940 Constitution of Cuba
The 1940 Constitution of Cuba, was implemented in 1940, during the presidency of Federico Laredo Brú. It was primarily influenced by the collectivist ideas that inspired the Cuban Revolution of 1933. Widely considered one of the most "progressive" constitutions in existence at the time, it provided...
. After the resignation of President Manuel Urrutia
Manuel Urrutia Lleó
Manuel Urrutia Lleó was a liberal Cuban lawyer and politician. Urrutia campaigned against the Gerardo Machado government and the second presidency of Fulgencio Batista during the 1950s, before serving as president in the first revolutionary government of 1959...
, Dorticós was appointed President of Cuba
President of Cuba
--209.174.31.28 18:43, 22 November 2011 The President of Cuba is the Head of state of Cuba. According to the Cuban Constitution of 1976, the President is the chief executive of the Council of State of Cuba...
by the Council of Ministers
Council of Ministers of Cuba
The Cabinet of Cuba is the highest ranking executive and administrative body of the Republic of Cuba, and constitutes the nation's government...
on 17 July 1959.
As President, Dorticós represented Cuba at the Summit of Non-Aligned Nations
Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states considering themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2011, the movement had 120 members and 17 observer countries...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
(1961), and at the Summit
Summit (meeting)
A summit meeting is a meeting of heads of state or government, usually with considerable media exposure, tight security and a prearranged agenda.Notable summit meetings include those of Franklin D...
of the Organisation of American States in Punta del Este
Punta del Este
Punta del Este is a resort town on the Atlantic Coast in the Maldonado Department of southeastern Uruguay. It is located on the intersection of Route 10 with Route 39, directly southeast of the department capital Maldonado and about east of Montevideo...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
(1962). During the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
of 1962, Dorticós gave a speech at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in which he announced that Cuba possessed nuclear weapons, which it hoped would never be used. He was at the inauguration of Peronist President Héctor Cámpora
Héctor José Cámpora
Héctor José Cámpora Demaestre was president of Argentina from 25 May until 13 July 1973.Cámpora, affectionately known as el Tío , was born in the city of Mercedes, in the Province of Buenos Aires...
on 25 May 1973, in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, along with Chilean President Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
.
In addition to acting as Cuba's President, Dorticós served as a member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee
Central Committee
Central Committee was the common designation of a standing administrative body of communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, whether ruling or non-ruling in the twentieth century and of the surviving, mostly Trotskyist, states in the early twenty first. In such party organizations the...
of the Communist Party of Cuba
Communist Party of Cuba
The Communist Party of Cuba is the governing political party in Cuba. It is a communist party of the Marxist-Leninist model. The Cuban constitution ascribes the role of the Party to be the "leading force of society and of the state"...
(from 1965); and as president of the Central Planning
Planning
Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior...
Council (from 1964). Upon implementation of the Cuban Constitution of 1976, 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...
became Cuba's Head of State
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
in 1976, and Dorticós was displaced and named President of the National Bank and a member of the Council of State
Council of State of Cuba
The Council of State of Cuba is a 31-member body of the government of Cuba, elected by the National Assembly of People’s Power. It has the authority to exercise most legislative power between sessions of the National Assembly of People’s Power, subject to its approval, and to call the National...
. He served in those capacities until his death by suicide on 23 June 1983. His suicide (by a self-inflicted gunshot wound) was apparently brought on by the death of his wife, as well as chronic spinal disease.