Jorge Risquet Valdés-Saldaña

Revolutionary combatant, journalist, deputy, internationalist fighter.

He entered the revolutionary youth movement in 1943, in which he held different responsibilities in the Socialist Youth and in the Popular Socialist Party, including Director of the newspaper "Mella", Secretary of Organization and Secretary General of the National Committee of Socialist Youth, a leadership body to which he belonged for fifteen years. Due to his revolutionary stance he suffered several arrests and trials under successive governments.

He was Cuba's Representative and Responsible for Latin America in the World Federation of Democratic Youth and fulfilled an Internationalist Mission in Guatemala in 1954.

During the Batista tyranny he was kidnapped, tortured and imprisoned. He joined the Rebel Army in 1958 in the II Eastern Front "Frank País".

Upon the triumph of the Revolution he held the responsibilities of Chief of the Political Department and Chief of Operations of the Army in the former province of Oriente; Secretary of Organization of the Provincial Committee of the United Party of the Socialist Revolution of Cuba in that province, in which he played a prominent role in the constitution of the Party; Chief of the "Patricio Lumumba" Internationalist Battalion in Congo Brazzaville; Minister of Labor; Responsible for the Cuban Civil Internationalist Mission in the People's Republic of Angola between 1975 and 1979.

He presided over the Cuban Delegation in the four-party negotiations (Cuba-Angola-USA-South Africa) in 1988.

Member of the Central Committee of the Party since its constitution; of the Secretariat from 1973 to 1990; he was elected Member of the Political Bureau from 1980 to 1991, and Deputy to the National Assembly of People's Power since its constitution until 1993.

Graduate in journalism, founder of different publications and author of numerous articles, he advised the process of creation and editing of important works, particularly related to the liberation struggle of the peoples of Africa.

Upon his death he held the status of founder of the Communist Party of Cuba. For services rendered he received various decorations and honors.

He died in Havana at the age of 85.