Jorge González Pérez

He was born in Jovellanos, Matanzas; he completed his primary and secondary studies in public schools in his hometown and his pre-university studies at the Carlos Marx school in the City of La Habana. He studied Medicine at the Universidad de La Habana, and graduated in 1975.

Upon completing his Medicine degree, he obtained the specialization in Forensic Medicine through direct appointment in response to the need to train young professionals in this field, which was considered "anemic," and he became involved in teaching work in response to a call made for this purpose. He completed postgraduate studies in Biomedical Basic Sciences for teachers at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Universidad de La Habana, from 1976 to 1977.

He completed one year of training in Forensic Medicine at the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the Universidad de Berlín, Germany (1977-1978). He obtained the rank of First Grade in this specialty in 1981; Second Grade in 1990 and achieved his Doctorate at the Institute of Forensic Medicine and Criminalistics of the Universidad Karl Marx de Leipzig, Germany (1982 to 1987).

Head of the Department of Forensic Toxicology, 1980-1985; Deputy Teaching Director in 1986 and Director of the Institute of Forensic Medicine of La Habana, from 1988 to 2002. He obtained the Teaching Category at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the Universidad de La Habana in 1977, advancing to the rank of Full Professor in 2002 at the Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana.

He is also an Associate Full Professor at the Universidad de La Habana.

Founding member in 1978 of the Sociedad Cubana de Medicina Legal, in which he has held the positions of Treasurer, Secretary, and President, the latter since 1990 to the present; he has also organized multiple events throughout this time.

Since 1981, he is a Member of the National Group of Forensic Medicine; Founding Member of the National Toxicology Commission of MINSAP; Founding Member of the Sociedad Cubana de Toxicología; Honorary Member of the Sociedad Cubana de Antropología Biológica; Secretary of the Provincial Commission on Medical Ethics of Ciudad de La Habana (1988-95) and, subsequently, of the National Commission on Medical Ethics; Head of the Chair of Health Ethics; Member of the Chair of Law and Health of the Escuela Nacional de Salud Pública; Member of the Academic Committee on Drugs of MINSAP; President of the Commission on Medical Responsibility of the Provincial Health Authority of the Capital, among other permanent work commissions.

He has participated in more than one hundred national and international scientific events, in which he has presented approximately two hundred works in different formats, in medical, legal, anthropological, criminalistics, toxicological and bioethical specialties.

He was the principal coordinator of the International Disaster Workshop (1994) and in the development of the Manual for Mass Management of Fatalities in Disaster Situations, which received the Annual Prize for Best Health Work in 1994.

He is a Member of the Disasters Commission of MINSAP, as well as Advisor in this specialty to the National General Staff of Civil Defense, of which he is part of its Scientific Council. Since 1994, he is a Member of the Cruz Roja de Cuba. He was appointed expert of the National Committee for Disaster Reduction within the framework of the International Decade proclaimed by the United Nations for such purposes in 1990.

An eminent forensic physician of recognized national and international prestige, he has made theoretical and practical contributions to the specialty through numerous publications, such as the book dedicated to violence, which was under his direction and was recognized as an important text by the Organización Panamericana de la Salud; he has also published scientific articles in national and international newspapers and journals, mostly related to the topics of alcoholism and accidents; he is co-author of the Manual de Procedimientos Medicolegales; he participated in the Commission for the Forensic Medicine Residency Program; contributor to the Manual Práctico de Toxicología, published by the Editorial de Ciencias Médicas in 1988; he performed the technical review, updating and part of the translation of the Vademécum de Medicina Legal, published in 1987 by the Editorial Científico-Técnica and co-author of a textbook on Forensic Medicine. His scientific work also includes participation in various radio and television programs.

For his work, he has received more than twenty distinctions or decorations, in addition to other academic and political recognitions.

He has been involved in the teaching of different military schools of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR) and the Ministerio del Interior (MININT).

In 1995, he was assigned the mission of traveling to Bolivia as a representative of the families of Che Guevara and the other Cuban combatants who died with him in the Guerrilla and Internationalist Campaign of 1967 in that Latin American country, to direct the search for their remains, which he assumed for more than 5 years at the head of a group of Cuban scientists and experts, committed to this investigative and research work, which would culminate in the identification of Commander Ernesto Che Guevara and his fallen companions in this Andean region.

Deputy to the National Assembly in Cuba since 1998 to the present, and since 2003, he has been appointed President of the Commission on Health and Sports.

Rector of the Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana since June 2001 to the present, and founding president of the Revista Habanera de Ciencias Médicas.

Personal Recognition from Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz for his participation in the "Thallium" case.

Distinguished Services of the FAR (3 occasions).

Medal for the Security of Internal Order.

Commemorative Seal for the XXX Anniversary of the Policía Nacional Revolucionaria (PNR) (silver).

Distinguished Services of MININT (2 occasions).

National Vanguard of the Health Workers Union (14 occasions).

Combative Fraternity Medal.

Distinction 50th Anniversary of the Central de Trabajadores de Cuba (CTC).

Commemorative Coin for the XXXVII Anniversary of the Assault on the Cuartel Moncada.

Commemorative Seal 80th Anniversary of the Birth of Lázaro Peña.

Certificate of Labor Prowess.

Order No. 1 from the Commander in Chief for the preparation and participation in the funeral honors of Guerrillero Heroico Ernesto Guevara.

Recognition Plaque from CITMA for the work in finding and identifying the remains of Guerrillero Heroico and his companions in struggle.

Distinguished Guest of the city of Santa Clara.

He was awarded La Giraldilla de La Habana.

Adopted Son of the City of La Habana.

Orden Lázaro Peña of Third Grade.

Distinction for Cuban Education.

Commemorative Plaque Centenary Dr. Pedro Kourí.

Commemorative Seal 40th Anniversary of the Instituto Superior de Ciencias Médicas de La Habana.

Commemorative Medal 40th Anniversary of the Instituto de Ciencias Básicas y Preclínicas "Victoria de Girón".

Certificate as Founder of the Centro de Investigaciones Médico Quirúrgicas (CIMEQ).

Medal for the 20 Years of CIMEQ.

-Participation in work missions in more than forty countries; in several of them, as an expert in aviation disasters due to accidents that occurred.

-Individual expert at the VIII International United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders. 1990.

-Participant heading a Cuban delegation to the Regional Symposium on the Forensic Toxicology Laboratories Network convened by the Drug Division of the United Nations. 1991.

-Participant, representing Cuba, at the Pastoral of Health Workers of the Vatican, dedicated to the topic of drugs and alcohol. 1991.

-Delegate to the Latin American Summit of Rectors, held at the XIV General Assembly of the Unión de Universidades de América Latina. 2001.

-Participant in the identification of victims of the invasion of Granada.

-Participant in the identification of victims of those who fell in internationalist missions. "Operation Tribute".

-Director of the group of Cuban scientists and experts who carried out the search and identification of the remains of Commander Ernesto Che Guevara and his fallen companions.

FOREIGN SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES

-Honorary Member or Corresponding Member of different Cuban and foreign Scientific Societies, such as:

-Secretary (1990-96) and Vice President (1996-98) of the Asociación Latinoamericana de Medicina Legal y Deontología Médica.

-Honorary Member of the Sociedad Ecuatoriana de Medicina Legal.

-Corresponding Member of the Sociedad Mexicana de Criminología.

-Member of the Asociación Mexicana de Medicina Legal.

-Honorary Member of the Asociación Española de Medicina y Salud Escolar y Universitaria.

-Member of the Academia Internacional de Medicina Legal y Medicina Social.

Source: Professor Doctor Jorge González Pérez Ph.D. A glory of the medical sciences of Cuba and the world
Barreras González JE and Cathcart Roca F. Rev haban cienc méd. 2012 Sep;11(3): 321-26.