Orlando Borrego Díaz

Economist, writer, fought under the orders of Che Guevara. Advisor in Venezuela. Borrego will go down in Cuba's history as the person who told Fidel Castro that the 1970 sugar harvest would not reach the 10 million tons as proclaimed by the Cuban Prime Minister.

Orlando is a native of Holguín, an old province of Oriente, the product of the young marriage between Gerardo and Elcónida.

That character which the boy would reveal over the years already showed its glimmers in Primary Schools at "La Flor" and the "Los amigos" School where he completed his primary education.

Later, the 12-year-old boy would enter Pitman Academy where he completed his technical middle education in accounting, typing and English.

A few months later he began the Holguín School of Commerce where he trained as an accountant until 1957.

But beyond childhood and early youth, how can we summarize and reflect in its just measure the upright and strong-willed man? What could we mention about an indispensable one, one of those who fights every day?

We would then have to speak of the tireless worker, leader and professor; of the economist and writer, of the orator and doctor; of the revolutionary and advisor. If we add the fighter of sharp thinking and tenacious defender of the life, thought and work of Ché, we could not be talking about anyone else, but, Orlando Borrego Díaz.

Young Orlando was a member of the 26th of July movement in Holguín from its inception, is a founder of the Integrated Revolutionary Organizations (ORI), of the United Party of the Socialist Revolution (PURS) and of the Communist Party of Cuba.

In 1959 he was Assistant of the "Leoncio Vidal" Regiment in Santa Clara, Head of the Military Economic Board of the La Cabaña regiment under the Command of Ernesto Guevara and Director of the Industrialization Department of INRA until 1961.

In that same year 1961 he becomes Vice Minister of Industries and later First Vice Minister until 1964 when he is appointed Minister of Sugar Industry.

Those few but very intense years alongside Ché would mark the life and work of Borrego.

In 1965 he participates as a delegate at the First Party Congress and in 1969 he studies a Bachelor's degree in Economics at the University of Havana while simultaneously attending the 2nd year of Industrial Engineering at CUJAE and a French course at the School of Foreign Trade.

In 1972, during his last year of his Bachelor's degree, he teaches Political Economy at the Institute of International Relations.

Once his higher studies were completed, Borrego becomes Advisor to Commander of the Revolution Guillermo García Frías, then Vice President of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers.

In 1976, still in his position as advisor, he pursues a Doctorate in Economic Sciences at the Institute of Economics and Mathematics of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and a year after graduating, in 1981, he is appointed Director of CUFLET and Economic Advisor of the Ché Guevara Chair of the University of Havana.

Since 1986 he is appointed advisor to the Minister of Transport, a position where he developed valuable work that earned recognition from his colleagues and leaders.

Borrego also contributed his experience and professional training both in the national and international arena, in areas as diverse as the design and organization of the "Ecotourism" product in Cuba, or advisory services to the Bolivarian National Assembly of Venezuela, seven of its ministries, the State of Barinas and the Ché Guevara Mission, the latter at the express request of Commander Hugo Chávez.

For his results he has obtained multiple recognitions and decorations such as:

the Medal as Fighter of the Ciro Redondo Column, in 1960;
the Commemorative Medal of the XX Anniversary of the Revolution, signed by Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz in 1973,
The medals "Fighter of the Clandestine Struggle" and "Fighter of the War of Liberation",
the medals for the XX, 30th and 50th anniversary of the triumph of the Revolution, the latter in 2006.
And the commemorative stamp 40th Anniversary of the Founding of the Higher Pedagogical Institute "José de la Luz y Caballero" in his native Holguín in 2013.

Additionally, he has shared his knowledge by giving talks on the work and thought of Ché both in Cuba and abroad.

He has been interviewed and invited by multiple media outlets of the press, radio and television among which stand out 7 editions of Aló Presidente in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, mostly invited by Commander Hugo Chávez.

Borrego is also the author of dozens of articles and publications from as early as 1966 until recently.

Up to here it would seem that in this intense working and revolutionary life, the days would not be enough for more, however, Borrego shared with his friends, family and wife. He lived with strength and the examining gaze as always, knowing that only thus was the work of life accomplished well.