The economist and former political prisonerVladimiro Roca Antúnez, distinguished figure of the opposition in Cuba, died this Sunday in Havana at the age of 80 as a result of cerebrovascular disease.
Roca's death occurred around 6 p.m. in his apartment in Nuevo Vedado, where he was caring for his niece,Vivian Roca. He suffered cardiorespiratory arrest as a consequence of a cerebral infarction he had in 2020.
“He had been very bad for months, he had frequent small cerebral infarctions and he had lost his memory,” he said.Vivian Roca in telephone communication withCyberCuba.
With the death of Vladimiro Roca, an emblematic personality of the political dissidence that confronted the Fidel Castro regime, defending their differences from leftist positions that they forged within the family tradition.
Born in Havana on December 21, 1942, Vladimiro was the son ofBlas Roca, founding leader ofPopular Socialist Party (PSP) and who remained at the top of revolutionary power until the end of his life. He completed his primary studies at a primary school in the La Víbora neighborhood and upon finishing secondary education he joined the newspaper as an apprentice.Today, organ of the PSP.
At the age of 18 he was part of the first class of an elite group of young people selected to train as fighter-bomber pilots in the Soviet Union. Upon his return, he remained within theRevolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR) for 10 years.
He graduated with a degree in International Economic Relations from the "Raúl Roa" Higher Institute in 1987 and worked in the spheres of government until his differences with the political direction of the country became irreconcilable.
Vladimiro expressed his disagreements with the tenets of the socialist Constitution that his own father contributed decisively to establishing in 1976 as president of theNational Assembly of People's Power.
His active dissidence became evident in 1991, four years after the death of his father, who was buried with honors in the El Cacahual Pantheon next to the remains of the independence hero.Antonio Maceo.
Fired from his government job, Vladimiro began to publicly express his opposition. In 1996 he was among the founders of theSocial Democratic Party of Cubaand, a year later, he participated in the creation of the Internal Dissidence Working Group, which sought to analyze and propose solutions to the country's critical economic situation.
Together with three other thinkers distanced from the ruling party,Martha Beatriz Roque, René Gómez Manzano and Félix Bonne Carcassés (1939-2017), prepared and signed the documentThe country belongs to everyone, a devastating examination of Cuba's economic and social disaster, with proposals for democratic and multiparty reform.
Designed to discuss among the population regarding theV Congress of the Communist Party, the publication of the document angered Fidel andRaul Castro, and led to the arrest of its promoters in 1997.Vladimiro and his companions were tried for crimes "against the national security of the Cuban State" and "sedition", and sentenced to prison terms of between three and five years.
He served prison until 2002 and remained active in political activism anddefense of human rights in Cuba. None of the four signatories ofThe country belongs to everyone He left the country after serving his respective sentences.
In 2010, he was among the activists who managed to travel to Banes, in the eastern province of Holguín, to participate in the opposition's funeral. Orlando Zapata Tamayo, died in a heroichunger strike to demand freedom for political prisoners.
He is survived by his brother Francisco and several nephews. His siblings Lidia and Joaquín died in recent years.
Her nephewLazarus Yuri Valley Rock, activist and independent journalist, He is currently serving a six-year prison sentence. for alleged crimes of enemy propaganda and resistance.
"I would like them to remember him as he was, for what he fought for and for his ideals," said Vivian Roca. "For me he was my beloved uncle and my memories and my anecdotes with him are unforgettable."
By family decision, Vladimiro's body will be cremated in the next few hours. No funeral services are planned.
What do you think?
SEE COMMENTS (15)Filed in: