Melba Hernandez
Encyclopedia
Melba Hernandez Rodriguez del Rey (28 July 1921) is a Cuban politician
and diplomat
born in Cruces
, Las Villas, Cuba
. She served as the Cuban Ambassador
to Vietnam
and to Cambodia
.
Hernandez was the only child of mulatto conservative parents who resided in a modern third-floor apartment on Jovellar Street in El Vedado. She graduated from the University of Havana
School of Law in 1943. Hernandez was a Customs attorney for the Carlos Prio government. She was one of the two women (the other being Haydee Santamaria) involved in the 1953 Moncada Barracks
assault. Although she had been practicing law for a decade, during the Moncada trial she chose not to defend herself, as Fidel Castro did, and was instead represented by Jorge Paglieri Cardero. She was sentenced to 7 months in prison. She was later declared "Heroina del Moncada". In the early 1960s she was in charge of women's prisons in Cuba.
She has been a Deputy in the Cuban National Assembly of People’s Power since 1993 (she previously served from 1976–1986) representing the municipality of 10 de Octubre. Hernandez has been a member of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba since 1986. She has also served as the Secretary General of OSPAAAL (Organization of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa & Latin America).
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and 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...
born in Cruces
Cruces
Cruces is a municipality and town in Cienfuegos Province, Cuba. It is the home of the Mal Tiempo National Park which commemorates a battle in the 1895 War of Independence....
, Las Villas, 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...
. She served as the Cuban Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and to Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
.
Hernandez was the only child of mulatto conservative parents who resided in a modern third-floor apartment on Jovellar Street in El Vedado. She graduated 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...
School of Law in 1943. Hernandez was a Customs attorney for the Carlos Prio government. She was one of the two women (the other being Haydee Santamaria) involved in the 1953 Moncada Barracks
Moncada Barracks
The Moncada Barracks was a military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, named after General Guillermón Moncada, a hero of the War of Independence. On July 26, 1953, the barracks was the site of an armed attack by a small group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro. This armed attack is widely accepted...
assault. Although she had been practicing law for a decade, during the Moncada trial she chose not to defend herself, as Fidel Castro did, and was instead represented by Jorge Paglieri Cardero. She was sentenced to 7 months in prison. She was later declared "Heroina del Moncada". In the early 1960s she was in charge of women's prisons in Cuba.
She has been a Deputy in the Cuban National Assembly of People’s Power since 1993 (she previously served from 1976–1986) representing the municipality of 10 de Octubre. Hernandez has been a member of Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba since 1986. She has also served as the Secretary General of OSPAAAL (Organization of Solidarity of the People of Asia, Africa & Latin America).