Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado

Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado (Cienfuegos, April 17, 1919-Havana, June 23, 1983) was a Cuban politician who served as president of the country between July 17, 1959. and December 2, 1976. That year the Cuban Constitution of 1976 came into force, which eliminated the position of president of the Republic and established the maximum power of the State in a collegiate body elected by the National Assembly. He committed suicide in 1983.

Biography

Dorticós was born into a rich family in Cienfuegos. His father studied Law and Medicine, and one of his ancestors was Tomás Terry, a famous businessman born in Venezuela who amassed one of the largest fortunes in the Western Hemisphere in his time. After working briefly as a professor, Dorticós studied Law and Philosophy at the University of Havana, graduating with a law degree in 1941. He joined the communist-leaning Popular Socialist Party (PSP) and served for a time as secretary of Juan Marinello, the leader of the PSP.

In the 1950s Dorticós opened a prosperous law firm in Cienfuegos, and served as Commodore of the Cienfuegos Yacht Club. He strongly opposed the government of Fulgencio Batista, and participated in the Civil Resistance Movement, which supported the guerrillas fighting the dictatorship. Dorticós was elected dean of the Cuban Bar Association in 1958, before being arrested by the Batista regime in the same year and a subsequent brief exile in Mexico.

Roles in government

After the success of the Cuban Revolution on January 1, 1959, Dorticós returned to Cuba and was appointed Minister of Revolutionary Laws in the cabinet headed by Fidel Castro. In that capacity, Dorticós played an important role in drafting revolutionary legislation, such as the Agrarian Reform Law and the Fundamental Organic Law that replaced the Cuban Constitution of 1940. After the resignation of President Manuel Urrutia, Dorticós was appointed chief of State by the Council of Ministers on July 17, 1959.

As president, Dorticós represented Cuba at the Summit of Non-Aligned Countries that was held in Belgrade in 1961, and at the Summit of the Organization of American States that was held in 1962 in the city of Punta del Este, in Uruguay.. During the Missile Crisis of 1962, Dorticós gave a speech at the UN announcing that Cuba possessed nuclear weapons, which he hoped he would never have to use. He was also present in Buenos Aires on the occasion of the inauguration of Héctor Cámpora as President of the Argentine Nation on May 25, 1973, together with the Chilean president Salvador Allende.

In addition to serving as President of Cuba, Dorticós served as a member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (since 1965), and as president of the Central Planning Council (since 1964). After the entry into force of the Cuban Constitution of 1976, Fidel Castro was named President of the Council of State, the highest body of power in the new political design of the country, disappearing the figure of 'President of the Republic'. Dorticós was named President of the National Bank of Cuba and member of the Council of State. He served in such positions until his death.

Death

He died on June 23, 1983, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an act motivated by the recent death of his wife and a serious condition he suffered from in his spine. His body was found in his home in Havana.

Decorations

As head of state, Dorticós was awarded the following decorations:

• Star of the Republic of Indonesia in First Class, Indonesia, 22/1/1960, maximum decoration of the country.
• Order of the White Lion in First ClassCzechoslovakia, 1961.
• Order of the National Flag in First ClassNorth Korea, 28/10/1966.
• Collar of the Order to Merit of Chile, Chile, 13/12/1972, maximum decoration of the country.
• Grand Cross of Order Poland RestitutaPoland, 24/4/1973, the highest decoration of the country, “for the ideals of Marxism-Leninism, fraternal friendship and cooperation”.
• Citizen of Honor from Córdoba, Argentina, 5/1973.
• Guest of Honor and Keys of the city of Mendoza, Argentina, 5/1973.
• Star Order of the Socialist Republic of Romania in First ClassRomania, 9/1973.

Predecessor: Manuel Urrutia Lleó

President of the Republic of Cuba 1959 - 1976

Successor: Fidel Castro President of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba