Ricardo Alarcón

Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada (born May 21 1937 in Havana, Cuba) has been the President of the National Assembly (ANPP) of Cuba since 1993. A graduate of the University of Havana with a doctorate in philosophy, he served in various diplomatic posts following the Cuban Revolution.

Biography

Alarcón was born in Havana. He entered the University of Havana in 1954 and became active in the Federation of University Students (FEU), serving as the secretary of culture for the FEU from 1955 to 1956. Alarcón would become active in Castro's 26th of July Movement, which was attempting to oust Cuban President Fulgencio Batista, in July 1955. Alarcón assisted in the organization of the student apparatus of the guerrilla organization's youth brigade. Alarcón would be elected vice president of the FEU in 1959 and would serve as president of the student organization from 1961 to 1962.

In 1962, the new Castro-led government appointed Alarcón director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Americas division, where he would begin his diplomatic career. Between 1966 and 1978 he served as Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Vice President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, President of the Council of Administration to the United Nations Development Programme, and Vice-President of the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. In 1978 Alarcón was promoted to first vice-minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. [http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/ASANAC/espanol/presidente.htm Profile at Cuban parliament website] es icon.] While serving as Permanent Representative to the UN for a second time, Alarcón was President of the Security Council in February 1990 and July 1991. [ [http://www.un.org/Depts/dhl/resguide/scpres1990.htm "Presidents of the Security Council : 1990-1999"] , UN.org.] In 1992 was made Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in February 1993 he became the President of the National Assembly.

In August 2000, Alarcón was involved in a minor dispute with the United States when he was denied a visa to attend an international conference in New York City. Alarcón lived in Manhattan for over twelve years but because of his status as a Cuban government official he is only allowed within a 25 mile radius of the United Nations. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/901925.stm "Cuban politician denied US visa"] August 29, 2000 "BBC News"] [ [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/04/07/0313200&mode=thread&tid=33 "President of the Cuban National Assembly Ricardo Alarcon..."] November 15, 2002 "Democracy Now!"]

On December 2, 2003, then-Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security John R. Bolton charged that Cuba, along with Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Libya, were "rogue states...whose pursuit of weapons of mass destruction makes them hostile to U.S. interests [and who] will learn that their covert programs will not escape either detection or consequences." In response, Alarcón called Bolton "a liar" and cited US claims pertaining to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in justification of the Iraq War which were later found to be incorrect. [ [http://www.washtimes.com/world/20031231-111715-9034r.htm "Cuban leader sees invasion risk as 'real'"] December 31, 2003 "Washington Times"]

Following the January 2008 parliamentary election, Alarcón was re-elected as President of the National Assembly on February 24 2008. [ [http://granma.cu/ingles/2008/febrero/dom24/alarcon.html "Alarcón reelected as president of Cuban parliament"] , Granma.cu, January 24, 2008.]

Alarcón is a vocal promoter of Cuban policies in the international media, particularly on contemporary issues such as the defense of the "Cuban Five" and the extradition request for Luis Posada, sought by the Venezuelan government on charges relating to the bombing of Cubana Flight 455 on October 6, 1976.

Family

Alarcon was married to Margarita Perea Maza (?- February 9, 2008) [The Miami Herald; "Wife of Cuban Official Dies After Long Illness"; February 12, 2008, Page 7A] .

Further reading

*Ricardo Alarcón and Reinaldo Suarez, "Cuba y Su Democracia" (Editorial de Ciencias Sociales 2004) ISBN 9871158068
*Fidel Castro and Ricardo Alarcón, "EE.UU. fuera del oriente medio" (Pathfinder Press 2001) ISBN 0873486250
*Ricardo Alarcón and Mary Murray "Cuba and the United States : an interview with Cuban Foreign Minister, Ricardo Alaron" (Ocean Press 1992) ISBN 1875284699

References

External links

General

* [http://www.pcc.cu/pccweb/glosario/personalidades/alarcon.php Official Biography] - "Cuban Communist Party".
* [http://www.parlamentocubano.cu/ASANAC/espanol/presidente.htm Official Biography] - "Cuban National Assembly".

Article by Alarcón de Quesada

* [http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=40&ItemID=8620 "Bush's Choices"] August 31, 2005 "Z Magazine".

Interviews

* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/latin_america/jan-june98/cuba_2-4.html "The Papal Impact"] February 4, 1998 "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer".
* [http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/2004/200410/20041025.html "Ricardo Alarcon Interview"] October 25, 2004 "The Current" CBC Radio.
* [http://www.zmag.org/sustainers/content/2005-03/09landau.cfm "Part I: An Interview with Cuban VP Ricardo Alarcon"] February 17, 2005 "Z Magazine".
* [http://www.zmag.org/Sustainers/Content/2005-03/11landau.cfm "Part II: An Interview with Cuban VP Ricardo Alarcon"] March 11, 2005 "Z Magazine".
* [http://www.counterpunch.org/allard04192005.html "Interview: Is Posada Still Working for the White House?"] April 19, 2005 "Counterpunch".
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/05/09/148248&mode=thread&tid=25 "Exclusive: Top Cuban Official Ricardo Alarcon Demands U.S. Hand Over Terrorist Posada"] May 9, 2005 "Democracy Now!".
* [http://www.ciponline.org/cuba/cubaandterrorism/interview%20with%20Alarcon.htm "Wayne S. Smith Interview with Ricardo Alarcon"] June 29, 2005 "Center for International Policy".
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/21/1423239&mode=thread&tid=25 "Alarcon Defends Imprisonment of 'Independent Librarians' in Cuba, Cites Washington's Funding of Anti-Castro Groups in Havana"] September 21, 2005 "Democracy Now!".
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/21/1423232&mode=thread&tid=25 "Alarcon Demands Immediate Release of 'Cuban 5': 'They Are Now Kidnapped'"] September 21, 2005 "Democracy Now!".
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/09/21/1423226&mode=thread&tid=25 "Cuba's Number 2, Ricardo Alarcon, Blasts 'Neoliberal' Katrina Response"] September 21, 2005 "Democracy Now!".
* [http://lawanddisorder.org/?p=72 "Cuban Five Update"] March 6, 2006 "Law and Disorder".
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/08/02/1434239 "Cuban National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon Says Castro is 'Very Alive and Very Alert'"] August 2, 2006 "Democracy Now!"
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5602032 "Official Puts Castro's Absence at 'Some Weeks'"] August 2, 2006 NPR: "All Things Considered"
* [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/05/1452233 "Top Cuban Official Ricardo Alarcón on Castro's Condition and Cuba's Future"] December 5, 2006 "Democracy Now!"

Other

* [http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/01/19/time/alarcon.html "You Should Not Expect A Miracle"] January 26, 1998 "Time".
* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/latin_america/jan-june98/cuba_2-9.html "Cuba After the Pope"] February 9, 1998 "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer".
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3934335 "Cuba Carefully Watching U.S. Policy in the Making"] September 24, 2004 "Morning Edition".
* [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4118047 "U.S. Plans for Post-Castro Cuba"] October 20, 2004 "Morning Edition".
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7679032/ "Cuban official demands action on Posada"] April 29, 2005 "NBC News".
* [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0609170421sep17,1,3620535.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed Behind Raul, generals rule]
* [http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/4585/1/229/ "The Work of Karl Marx and the Challenges of the 21st Century" by Ricardo Alarcon] May 3, 2006 Political Affairs Magazine