Armando Ribas Dies, a Singular Cuban, Intellectually Enormous and as Honest as Few

June 29, 2020

The politician and economist Armando Ribas, the only Cuban who was a member of the Argentine Congress, passed away on June 28 in Buenos Aires at the age of 87, reported the Union of the Democratic Center (UCeDe), the party for which he served as deputy between July 19 and December 9, 1989.

"We regret to inform of the death of Armando Ribas. Deputy for UCeDe. Born in Cuba, lawyer, consultant, writer and professor. Economist at FIEL and IMF, advisor to the Min. Eco. and Sec. Agr. Above all a lover and defender of Freedom. We extend our condolences to his family," the political party published on its Twitter profile.

Ribas settled in Argentina in 1960, following the arrival to power of the Cuban revolution, and in addition to his political activity he worked as an economist for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and chief economist of the Foundation for Latin American Economic Research (FIEL).

He also collaborated with major Argentine media outlets and wrote several books. The founder of UCeDe, Álvaro Alsogaray, describes him as a "tireless fighter for the ideas of freedom." "Armando Ribas passed away, great friend and tireless fighter for the ideas of freedom. Philosopher, lawyer, economist and politician, he was part of the leadership of UCEDE from its inception and came to represent it as a deputy of the nation. Our condolences to his family," Alsogaray published on his Twitter profile.

The Libertad Foundation, with which Ribas cooperated, dedicated a text to him highlighting him as "a Cuban who loved Argentina and made it his own, and suffered it deeply, but without ever losing optimism." "He continued seeking a thousand ways to show us Argentines the miracle of our own history that textbooks falsify in schools; and the path back to progress and prosperity. As a teacher, he revealed to us the importance of the great thinkers of freedom. His works will endure forever with us and we will continue using them to teach new generations," the text states.