Ramón Barquín
Encyclopedia
Ramón M. Barquín was a Cuba
n military colonel
and opponent of former President Fulgencio Batista
. Barquín was jailed by the Batista government for leading a failed coup attempt in 1956. He later fled Cuba in 1960 following the 1959 takeover by Fidel Castro
.
in 1933. He later graduated as a second lieutenant
from the Cuban Military Academy and the Superior War College, which is located in Mexico. Additionally, Barquín also attended the United States Strategic Intelligence School.
Barquín married Hilda Cantero in 1941. She died in 2004 after more than sixty years of marriage.
. Barquín would serve as the director of military education of the Cuban Army.
Barquín was appointed to be vice chief of staff
of the Inter-American Defense Board
. He served as the Cuban military attaché
to the United States in Washington, D.C. from 1950 until 1956 during the presidency of Carlos Prio Socarras
. The U.S. awarded Barquín the Legion of Merit
in 1955, a Congressional award bestowed on foreign military personnel. He and his wife were regulars among the Washington social scene during the 1950s.
, his failure to call new elections and Batista's oppression of political dissidents. By contrast, Barquín was a very popular military Colonel. Batista had expected Barquín's unconditional support but Barquin felt compelled instead to return Cuba to a democratic regime.
In April 1956, Batista called popular military leader Col. Ramón Barquín back to Cuba from his post as military attaché to the United States. Believing Barquín would support his rule, Batista promoted him to General.[54] However, Barquín's Conspiración de los Puros (Conspiracy of the Pure) was already underway and had already progressed too far. On April 6, 1956, Barquín led a coup by hundreds of career officers but was frustrated by Lieutenant Ríos Morejón, who betrayed the plan. Barquín was sentenced to solitary confinement for eight years on the Isle of Pines, while some officers were sentenced to death for treason.[54] Many others were allowed to remain in the military without being reprimanded.[55]
By contrast, Barquín worked quickly to try and overthrow the unpopular Batista following his return to Cuba. In April 1956, Barquín launched what became known as a "the conspiracy
of the pure" (a reference to the spotless records of the conspiring officers) to remove the President from power. Barquín led hundreds of Cuban Army officers in an attempted coup d'état
to overthrow Batista, who was backed by the United States government. The coup attempt quickly failed to topple to the government. The leaders of the uprising, including Barquín, were rapidly arrested and court martialed from the military. Barquín was sentenced to six years in prison on the Isle of Pines for his part in the consiracy. (Some reports say that he was sentenced to eight years in jail.) The Isle of Pines is located south of the large main island of Cuba. (It was renamed the Isle of Youth in 1978.)
, who numbered only about 300 regular troops backed by peasant volunteers. The Cuban military was one of the largest in Latin America at the time.
Castro quickly gained territory and support from Cubans. It appeared that Castro would topple Batista by 1958. The United States, seeking to stop Castro, pressured Batista to release Barquín from prison. Under pressure, Colonel Barquín was released from prison in the afternoon of January 1, 1959, the same day that Batista fled into exile
to the Dominican Republic
. Barquín flew to Havana and took command of the Cuban Army at Camp Columbia
from General Cantillo. In the afternoon of January 1 the Cuban Supreme Court
had ruled that Manuel Urrutia, proposed by Castro's 26 of July Movement, was the legitimate president of Cuba.
Cantillo had ordered an immediate ceasefire to the government fighting of Castro's forces as soon Batista fled and Barquin maintained it as he ascended to the head of the Cuban Military. He attempted to contact Castro directly, but was unable to reach him since he was still in western Oriente Province. Cuban rebel leader Camilo Cienfuegos
arrived at Camp Columbia on January 2, 1959. Cienfuegos had orders to assume control of the nation's military. Barquín did nothing to stop Cienfuegos, since his orders had been signed by Manuel Urrutia, whom the Cuban Supreme Court had recognized as the new Cuban president. Barquín "...saluted the insurgent 'Army of Liberation' and surrendered (a camp and military fortress) to Camilo Cienfuegos
...", according to the Cambridge History of Latin America. Fidel Castro arrived in the city of Havana
one week later. Barquín assisted in forming the new government under Castro over the next few weeks.
Barquín was initially a supporter of Castro's land reforms. However, he soon became disillusioned with Castro's Communist ideology and Castro's violation of internationally accepted human rights.
Castro's brother, Raúl Castro
, ordered Barquín to leave Havana in some capacity after realizing that Barquín was too popular a figure in Cuban society to imprison again. He was initially sent as a Cuban ambassador
in Europe, which removed him from Cuban domestic affairs. However, in mid-1960 Barquín resigned his diplomatic post and left for exile in the United States, along with other moderates. He never returned again to his native Cuba.
, resdistribute wealth through taxation, and restore private enterprise. He also accused the Castro government of "...trying to create in Cuba an American Hungary..." in same the same interview, referring to the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Barquín and his family briefly lived in Miami, Florida
, which has a large Cuban exile
community vehemently opposed to Castro. However, Barquín soon moved permanently to San Juan, Puerto Rico
, in 1961. Once in Puerto Rico
worked to establish a number of schools and other institutions. These facilities which he helped to found included a K-12
military school, the Atlantic College of Puerto Rico
, a series of summer camp
s, and a civil education institute. The government of Puerto Rico
awarded Barquín the Educator of the Year award in 1995 for his work on improving education on the island.
Barquín authored five books, all written in Spanish, on the subjects of education and history. His last book, My Dialogues with Fidel, Raúl and Ché, had been scheduled to be released in the spring of 2008, but has not yet been published. He also became a marathon runner at the age of 60. He competed in the New York Marathon eleven different times and came in second for his age group in his first race. He won the 80-year-plus age group in the 1994 New York Marathon. Altogether, Barquín ran in almost 20 marathons in total.
at his home in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
, on March 3, 2008, at the age of 93. His funeral was held in Puerto Rico.
He was survived by his daughter, Lilliam Consuegra of San Juan, his son, Ramón C. Barquín of Bethesda, Maryland
, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. His wife, Hilda Barquín, to whom he had been married for 63 years, died in 2004.
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 military colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and opponent of former President 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....
. Barquín was jailed by the Batista government for leading a failed coup attempt in 1956. He later fled Cuba in 1960 following the 1959 takeover 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...
.
Early life
Ramón M. Barquín was born in the city of Cienfuegos, Cuba, on May 12, 1914. Barquín enlisted in the Cuban militaryMilitary of Cuba
The Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces consist of ground forces, naval forces, air and air defence forces, and other paramilitary bodies including the Territorial Troops Militia , Revolutionary Armed Forces , and Youth Labor Army .The armed forces has long been the...
in 1933. He later graduated as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
from the Cuban Military Academy and the Superior War College, which is located in Mexico. Additionally, Barquín also attended the United States Strategic Intelligence School.
Barquín married Hilda Cantero in 1941. She died in 2004 after more than sixty years of marriage.
Career
Barquín taught in several Cuban military schools. He rose through the military ranks to colonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. Barquín would serve as the director of military education of the Cuban Army.
Barquín was appointed to be vice chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
of the Inter-American Defense Board
Inter-American Defense Board
The Inter-American Defense Board is an international committee of nationally appointed defense officials who develop collaborative approaches on common defense and security issues facing countries in North, Central, and South America...
. He served as the Cuban military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
to the United States in Washington, D.C. from 1950 until 1956 during the presidency of Carlos Prio Socarras
Carlos Prío Socarrás
Carlos Prío Socarrás was the President of Cuba from 1948 until he was deposed by a military coup led by Fulgencio Batista on March 10, 1952, three months before new elections were to be held.- Governance :...
. The U.S. awarded Barquín the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
in 1955, a Congressional award bestowed on foreign military personnel. He and his wife were regulars among the Washington social scene during the 1950s.
1956 coup attempt
Barquín was ordered back to Cuba in 1956 by President Fulgencio Batista to carry out an assessment of the Dominican Republic's military capabilities to attack Cuba. At the time, Batista and Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo were feuding over several political issues. Batista was highly unpopular among the Cuban people at the time due to his supension of the ConstitutionConstitution of Cuba
Since attaining its independence from Spain, Cuba has had five constitutions. The current constitution was drafted in 1976 and has since been amended.-1901 Constitution:The 1901 Constitution was Cuba's first as an independent state...
, his failure to call new elections and Batista's oppression of political dissidents. By contrast, Barquín was a very popular military Colonel. Batista had expected Barquín's unconditional support but Barquin felt compelled instead to return Cuba to a democratic regime.
In April 1956, Batista called popular military leader Col. Ramón Barquín back to Cuba from his post as military attaché to the United States. Believing Barquín would support his rule, Batista promoted him to General.[54] However, Barquín's Conspiración de los Puros (Conspiracy of the Pure) was already underway and had already progressed too far. On April 6, 1956, Barquín led a coup by hundreds of career officers but was frustrated by Lieutenant Ríos Morejón, who betrayed the plan. Barquín was sentenced to solitary confinement for eight years on the Isle of Pines, while some officers were sentenced to death for treason.[54] Many others were allowed to remain in the military without being reprimanded.[55]
By contrast, Barquín worked quickly to try and overthrow the unpopular Batista following his return to Cuba. In April 1956, Barquín launched what became known as a "the conspiracy
Conspiracy (political)
In a political sense, conspiracy refers to a group of persons united in the goal of usurping or overthrowing an established political power. Typically, the final goal is to gain power through a revolutionary coup d'état or through assassination....
of the pure" (a reference to the spotless records of the conspiring officers) to remove the President from power. Barquín led hundreds of Cuban Army officers in an attempted coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
to overthrow Batista, who was backed by the United States government. The coup attempt quickly failed to topple to the government. The leaders of the uprising, including Barquín, were rapidly arrested and court martialed from the military. Barquín was sentenced to six years in prison on the Isle of Pines for his part in the consiracy. (Some reports say that he was sentenced to eight years in jail.) The Isle of Pines is located south of the large main island of Cuba. (It was renamed the Isle of Youth in 1978.)
1959 Cuban Revolution
President Batista purged the military officers of supporters of Barquín and the coup attempt. However, the failure of Barquín's 1956 coup attempt did not halt opposition to the Batista government. Fidel Castro landed in western Cuba and launched his guerrilla war against the government just six months after the coup attempt. The new military officers whom Batista had installed following his military purges were unable to cope with the Castro Communist insurgencyInsurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
, who numbered only about 300 regular troops backed by peasant volunteers. The Cuban military was one of the largest in Latin America at the time.
Castro quickly gained territory and support from Cubans. It appeared that Castro would topple Batista by 1958. The United States, seeking to stop Castro, pressured Batista to release Barquín from prison. Under pressure, Colonel Barquín was released from prison in the afternoon of January 1, 1959, the same day that Batista fled into exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
to the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. Barquín flew to Havana and took command of the Cuban Army at Camp Columbia
Camp Columbia
Camp Columbia was a United States Army post located in Wacol, near Brisbane, during World War II. The Sixth US Army Headquarters was stationed here and it was an Officer Candidate School from 1942 to 1945. After World War II it served as a transit point for refugees and was used by the Australian...
from General Cantillo. In the afternoon of January 1 the Cuban Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Cuba
The People's Supreme Court is the highest body of judicial power in Cuba. It is elected by, and accountable to, the National Assembly of People’s Power...
had ruled that Manuel Urrutia, proposed by Castro's 26 of July Movement, was the legitimate president of Cuba.
Cantillo had ordered an immediate ceasefire to the government fighting of Castro's forces as soon Batista fled and Barquin maintained it as he ascended to the head of the Cuban Military. He attempted to contact Castro directly, but was unable to reach him since he was still in western Oriente Province. Cuban rebel leader Camilo Cienfuegos
Camilo Cienfuegos
Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán was a Cuban revolutionary born in Lawton, Havana. Raised in an anarchist family that had left Spain before the Spanish Civil War, he became a key figure of the Cuban Revolution, along with Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Juan Almeida Bosque, and Raúl Castro.-Political...
arrived at Camp Columbia on January 2, 1959. Cienfuegos had orders to assume control of the nation's military. Barquín did nothing to stop Cienfuegos, since his orders had been signed by Manuel Urrutia, whom the Cuban Supreme Court had recognized as the new Cuban president. Barquín "...saluted the insurgent 'Army of Liberation' and surrendered (a camp and military fortress) to Camilo Cienfuegos
Camilo Cienfuegos
Camilo Cienfuegos Gorriarán was a Cuban revolutionary born in Lawton, Havana. Raised in an anarchist family that had left Spain before the Spanish Civil War, he became a key figure of the Cuban Revolution, along with Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, Juan Almeida Bosque, and Raúl Castro.-Political...
...", according to the Cambridge History of Latin America. Fidel Castro arrived in the city of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
one week later. Barquín assisted in forming the new government under Castro over the next few weeks.
Barquín was initially a supporter of Castro's land reforms. However, he soon became disillusioned with Castro's Communist ideology and Castro's violation of internationally accepted human rights.
Castro's brother, Raúl Castro
Raúl Castro
Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz is a Cuban politician and revolutionary who has been President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of the Council of Ministers of Cuba since 2008; he previously exercised presidential powers in an acting capacity from 2006 to 2008...
, ordered Barquín to leave Havana in some capacity after realizing that Barquín was too popular a figure in Cuban society to imprison again. He was initially sent as a Cuban ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
in Europe, which removed him from Cuban domestic affairs. However, in mid-1960 Barquín resigned his diplomatic post and left for exile in the United States, along with other moderates. He never returned again to his native Cuba.
Exile
In an October 25, 1960, interview with the Washington Post, Barquín announced that he was actively supporting the People's Revolutionary Movement, which sought to overthrow Castro. He described the PRM as a left wing, non-Communist movement which sought to restore trade unions, civil libertiesCivil liberties
Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the freedom from slavery and forced labour, freedom from torture and death, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to own and bear arms, the right...
, resdistribute wealth through taxation, and restore private enterprise. He also accused the Castro government of "...trying to create in Cuba an American Hungary..." in same the same interview, referring to the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956.
Barquín and his family briefly lived in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, which has a large Cuban exile
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
community vehemently opposed to Castro. However, Barquín soon moved permanently to San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, in 1961. Once in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
worked to establish a number of schools and other institutions. These facilities which he helped to found included a K-12
K-12
K–12 is a designation for the sum of primary and secondary education. It is used in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand where P–12 is also commonly used...
military school, the Atlantic College of Puerto Rico
Atlantic College of Puerto Rico
, is the first and only university established in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1983 by Dr. Teresa de Dios Unanue and Colonel Ramón M. Barquín....
, a series of summer camp
Summer camp
Summer camp is a supervised program for children or teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as campers....
s, and a civil education institute. The government of Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
awarded Barquín the Educator of the Year award in 1995 for his work on improving education on the island.
Barquín authored five books, all written in Spanish, on the subjects of education and history. His last book, My Dialogues with Fidel, Raúl and Ché, had been scheduled to be released in the spring of 2008, but has not yet been published. He also became a marathon runner at the age of 60. He competed in the New York Marathon eleven different times and came in second for his age group in his first race. He won the 80-year-plus age group in the 1994 New York Marathon. Altogether, Barquín ran in almost 20 marathons in total.
Death
Ramón Barquín died of complications from leukemiaLeukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
at his home in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Guaynabo is a municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas; south of Cataño; east of Bayamón; and west of San Juan...
, on March 3, 2008, at the age of 93. His funeral was held in Puerto Rico.
He was survived by his daughter, Lilliam Consuegra of San Juan, his son, Ramón C. Barquín of Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. His wife, Hilda Barquín, to whom he had been married for 63 years, died in 2004.