Faustino Pérez Hernández

He was a revolutionary, politician and physician, member of the 26th of July Movement, who participated in the Cuban Revolution of 1959 and held various positions in the government, most notably as president of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources.

Faustino Pérez was born in a rural area, La Larga, of Zaza del Medio, currently in the province of Sancti Spíritus.

His parents descended from Canary Islander settlers from Los Llanos de Aridane (La Palma), who arrived on the island in the late 19th century. At age 11, his family settled in the city of Cabaiguán.

In order to fight against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista, Pérez founded the National Revolutionary Movement (MNR) in Cabaiguán. In 1955 he joined the first National Leadership of the 26th of July Movement led by Fidel Castro, dedicating himself to establishing it in his own city.

In 1956 he went into exile in Mexico, becoming part of the group of 82 guerrillas who, led by Fidel Castro, boarded the yacht Granma on December 2, 1956. He was one of the 22 men who survived the ambush at the Battle of Alegría de Pío and managed to settle in the Sierra Maestra.

Following orders from Fidel Castro, he was in charge of organizing clandestine operations and support tasks for the guerrilla in "the plains." In 1958 he rejoined the guerrilla army of Sierra Maestra and accompanied Fidel Castro in his entry into Havana.

Once the Cuban Revolution triumphed, he graduated as a physician and held various positions. He was Minister of Recovery of Embezzled Assets and director of Military Health.

He was in charge of the fight against guerrilla groups opposed to Fidel Castro's government in the Escambray and fought in the Bay of Pigs invasion.

He also served as president of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria, and Head of the Office of Attention to the Organs of Local People's Power. By his own choice, he spent his final days with the residents of the Zapata Swamp, alongside whom he fought his last battles for social improvement and for the strengthening of the Revolution as Director of the Victoria de Girón Agroforestry Company.

Until his death in 1992, he was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.