'Historic' Cuban official, Jose Ramon Balaguer, dies at 90
Source: Associated Press
‘Historic’ Cuban official, José Ramón Balaguer, dies at 90
By ANDREA RODRÍGUEZ
July 16, 2022
HAVANA (AP) — José Ramón Balaguer, a longtime member of Cuba’s communist leadership who as health minister sent thousands of the island’s doctors on missions to win hearts and minds in Venezuela and developing countries around the world, has died at age 90.
An official statement read over state television late Friday reported the death, though no cause was given. It said his ashes would be honored at the Pantheon of Veterans in Havana before being taken to eastern Cuba, where he was born.
Balaguer served as health minister from 2004 until 2010 following a dozen years as the Communist Party’s ideology chieftain, striving to ensure adherence to Marxist principles as the island muddled through an economic crisis sparked by the collapse of its former Soviet benefactors.
He was elected to the Communist Party’s Central Committee in April 2011, serving as head of international relations for the leadership body, though he gave up his seat on the more powerful Politburo, which he had held for decades.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/cuba-obituaries-havana-d15bd3ee509072188280981a8328e230