Luis Andres Vargas Gomez
Encyclopedia
Luis Andres Vargas Gomez (14 May 1915 in Havana
, Cuba
- 13 January 2003 in Coral Gables, Florida
) was a Cuban lawyer
, economist
, diplomat
and anti-Castro activist who spent 21 years in Cuban prisons.
Vargas was the son of Pedro Vargas and Margarita Gomez-Toro (the daughter of General Maximo Gomez
). In Dec. 1935, he was appointed chancellor of the Cuban consulate in Key West, Florida, and in Sept. 1936 was assigned to the Cuban consulate in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the fall semester of 1937 he enrolled as a freshman in the Literary course of the College of Arts and
Sciences at Tulane University. Vargas attended only that one semester and his photograph is not included in the 1937-38 yearbook, although the name "Andrew Vargas" is listed under the names of students whose images do not appear in the class panels. Vargas returned to Havana in July 1938 to work in the Foreign Ministry. He enrolled in the University of Havana
School of Law and graduated in 1944. His first marriage in 1935 to Helen Small Whyte, the widow of diplomat Calixto Eugenio Sanchez Garcia and mother of revolutionary martyr Calixto Sanchez Whyte, ended in divorce in 1955. They had no children of their own. In 1955, Vargas married Maria Teresa de la Campa y Roff (the daughter of Batista's Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel de la Campa y Caraveda
), who had two children from a previous marriage.
He initially served in Fidel Castro
's government in 1959 as the Cuban delegate to the United Nations
European offices in Geneva. He went to exile in Coral Gables, Florida in April 1960.
Vargas became involved in the planning of the Bay of Pigs Invasion
, serving as the director of a clandestine radio station. Five days before the invasion, on April 12, 1961, he re-entered Cuba with his wife. Later he was captured by the Castro regime after the Ecuadorian Embassy only granted asylum to his wife. He was sentenced to death by firing squad, but his sentenced was commuted to 20 years after his mother, a revolutionary activist, pleaded on his behalf. His brother Pedro "Muño" Vargas Gomez was a Communist who supported Fidel Castro. Vargas served 20 years and seven months before being released on December 25, 1982. He was allowed to rejoin his wife in exile when civil rights activist Jesse Jackson
convinced Fidel Castro to release Vargas and 25 other political prisoners on June 28, 1984.
From 1986-1999, he wrote a column for El Nuevo Herald
. He died of kidney failure on January 13, 2003 in his home in Coral Gables.
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
- 13 January 2003 in Coral Gables, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
) was a Cuban lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
and anti-Castro activist who spent 21 years in Cuban prisons.
Vargas was the son of Pedro Vargas and Margarita Gomez-Toro (the daughter of General Maximo Gomez
Máximo Gómez
Máximo Gómez y Báez was a Major General in the Ten Years' War and Cuba's military commander in that country's War of Independence ....
). In Dec. 1935, he was appointed chancellor of the Cuban consulate in Key West, Florida, and in Sept. 1936 was assigned to the Cuban consulate in New Orleans, Louisiana. In the fall semester of 1937 he enrolled as a freshman in the Literary course of the College of Arts and
Sciences at Tulane University. Vargas attended only that one semester and his photograph is not included in the 1937-38 yearbook, although the name "Andrew Vargas" is listed under the names of students whose images do not appear in the class panels. Vargas returned to Havana in July 1938 to work in the Foreign Ministry. He enrolled in the University of Havana
University of Havana
The University of Havana or UH is a university located in the Vedado district of Havana, Cuba. Founded in 1728, the University of Havana is the oldest university in Cuba, and one of the first to be founded in the Americas...
School of Law and graduated in 1944. His first marriage in 1935 to Helen Small Whyte, the widow of diplomat Calixto Eugenio Sanchez Garcia and mother of revolutionary martyr Calixto Sanchez Whyte, ended in divorce in 1955. They had no children of their own. In 1955, Vargas married Maria Teresa de la Campa y Roff (the daughter of Batista's Foreign Minister, Miguel Ángel de la Campa y Caraveda
Miguel Ángel de la Campa y Caraveda
Miguel Ángel de la Campa y Caraveda was a Cuban diplomat, lawyer and author.Campa was the son of Spaniards Miguel Angel de la Campa-Alvarodiaz and Maria Teresa Caraveda....
), who had two children from a previous marriage.
He initially served in Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's government in 1959 as the Cuban delegate to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
European offices in Geneva. He went to exile in Coral Gables, Florida in April 1960.
Vargas became involved in the planning of the Bay of Pigs Invasion
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
, serving as the director of a clandestine radio station. Five days before the invasion, on April 12, 1961, he re-entered Cuba with his wife. Later he was captured by the Castro regime after the Ecuadorian Embassy only granted asylum to his wife. He was sentenced to death by firing squad, but his sentenced was commuted to 20 years after his mother, a revolutionary activist, pleaded on his behalf. His brother Pedro "Muño" Vargas Gomez was a Communist who supported Fidel Castro. Vargas served 20 years and seven months before being released on December 25, 1982. He was allowed to rejoin his wife in exile when civil rights activist Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
convinced Fidel Castro to release Vargas and 25 other political prisoners on June 28, 1984.
From 1986-1999, he wrote a column for El Nuevo Herald
El Nuevo Herald
El Nuevo Herald is a McClatchy newspaper published daily in Spanish in Miami, Florida, in the United States. El Nuevo Heralds sister paper is The Miami Herald, also produced by the McClatchy Company.-About El Nuevo Herald:...
. He died of kidney failure on January 13, 2003 in his home in Coral Gables.