Mario Llerena
Encyclopedia
Rafael Mario Ramón Llerena (March 5, 1913 – December 10, 2006) was a Cuba
n intellectual who worked alongside Fidel Castro
to topple Fulgencio Batista
but, opposing communism
, broke with Castro after he gained power.
Llerena was born in Placetas
, Las Villas
. Intending to become a Christian minister, he attended Princeton Theological Seminary
, but then switched careers. He taught Spanish
at Duke University
before returning to Cuba. He also received a doctorate of philosophy and letters from the University of Havana
.
Llerena met Castro in the 1950s, and at his request wrote a document, "Nuestra Razón", explaining the democratic ideals of the uprising Castro was planning. In 1957, he was named chairman of the New York branch of the July 26 Movement, and played a pivotal role in circumventing Batista's attempts at censorship during the uprising.
Citing ideological differences, he resigned from the movement before Castro's triumph on January 1, 1959. He criticized Castro's shift toward Communism, and ultimately fled the country in 1960. He became a strong voice among other exiles, publishing numerous essays and a book in 1978 called The Unsuspected Revolution: The Birth and Rise of Castroism, in which he claims many of Castro's followers were deceived by his drift to Communism.
He died in 2006 in Miami
, Florida
of natural causes.
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...
n intellectual who worked alongside 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...
to topple Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista
Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar was the United States-aligned Cuban President, dictator and military leader who served as the leader of Cuba from 1933 to 1944 and from 1952 to 1959, before being overthrown as a result of the Cuban Revolution....
but, opposing communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
, broke with Castro after he gained power.
Llerena was born in Placetas
Placetas
Placetas is a city in the Villa Clara Province in the center of Cuba; before the change in the country's government in 1959 the province was called Las Villas. Close towns include Zulueta , San Juan de los Remedios , Cabaiguán and Fomento , and Santa Clara and Camajuani...
, Las Villas
Villa Clara Province
Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas Province by west, Sancti Spiritus by east, and Cienfuegos on the South. Villa Clara shares with Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus on the south the Escambray...
. Intending to become a Christian minister, he attended Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary
Princeton Theological Seminary is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church located in the Borough of Princeton, New Jersey in the United States...
, but then switched careers. He taught Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
before returning to Cuba. He also received a doctorate of philosophy and letters from 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...
.
Llerena met Castro in the 1950s, and at his request wrote a document, "Nuestra Razón", explaining the democratic ideals of the uprising Castro was planning. In 1957, he was named chairman of the New York branch of the July 26 Movement, and played a pivotal role in circumventing Batista's attempts at censorship during the uprising.
Citing ideological differences, he resigned from the movement before Castro's triumph on January 1, 1959. He criticized Castro's shift toward Communism, and ultimately fled the country in 1960. He became a strong voice among other exiles, publishing numerous essays and a book in 1978 called The Unsuspected Revolution: The Birth and Rise of Castroism, in which he claims many of Castro's followers were deceived by his drift to Communism.
He died in 2006 in Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, 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...
of natural causes.