Vladimiro Roca
Encyclopedia
Vladimiro Roca Antúnez is a Cuba
n dissident
and leader of the illegal Cuban Social-Democratic Party.
, one of the founders of the Communist Party of Cuba
. In 1961, at the age of 18, he was among the first batch of a young elite selected for training as fighter pilots in the Soviet Union
. He served for ten years in the Cuban Armed Forces, and subsequently worked as an economist for the government. He became an active dissident in 1991, four years after his father's death. Roca and his father were close, though the son never had the same enthusiasm for Fidel Castro
's 1959 socialist revolution.
Roca was expelled from his state job working with foreign investment. In August 1996, he linked up with three other Cuban professionals who favored change, economist Marta Beatriz Roque
, engineer Félix Bonne Carcassés and attorney René Gómez Manzano to form the Working Group for Internal Dissidence. In 1997 they issued the document "The Homeland Belongs to Us All", in which they defended human rights, called for an end to political discrimination, and criticized a draft document issued by the Communist Party before its national congress that year for distorting history and offering no pragmatic proposals for tackling the country's economic ills. Two weeks later, on July 16, 1997, the four were arrested. In March 1998 they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three-and-a-half to five years on charges of sedition.
Roque, Bonne and Gómez were released in May 2000, but although Roca appeared also to meet the criteria for early release, he was instead subjected to four years of solitary confinement, incarceration in a remote prison far from his family, greatly restricted family visits, and virtually no medical care for his high blood pressure. It would appear that Roca was singled out for particularly severe treatment because he had been a member of the Cuban Communist Party and his father had been one of its founding members.
Roca entered prison an atheist, but was baptised Roman Catholic on September 24, 1999. He credited his new faith with helping him endure imprisonment.
He was finally released from prison on May 6, 2002, 70 days before his five-year-sentence would have expired.
In 2002, he won the Civil Courage Prize
, which recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor."
He is married to Magaly de Armas, and they have a son and a daughter.
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 dissident
Dissident
A dissident, broadly defined, is a person who actively challenges an established doctrine, policy, or institution. When dissidents unite for a common cause they often effect a dissident movement....
and leader of the illegal Cuban Social-Democratic Party.
Life
Roca is the son of Blas Roca CalderioBlas Roca Calderio
Blas Roca Calderio was the First President of the National Assembly of People's Power in Cuba, former head of the Communist Party of Cuba, editor of the communist newspaper 'Hoy', and influential member of Castro's government, in Santa Clara, August 1962.-Political life:Blas Roca, a leading...
, one of the founders of the Communist Party of Cuba
Communist Party of Cuba
The Communist Party of Cuba is the governing political party in Cuba. It is a communist party of the Marxist-Leninist model. The Cuban constitution ascribes the role of the Party to be the "leading force of society and of the state"...
. In 1961, at the age of 18, he was among the first batch of a young elite selected for training as fighter pilots in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He served for ten years in the Cuban Armed Forces, and subsequently worked as an economist for the government. He became an active dissident in 1991, four years after his father's death. Roca and his father were close, though the son never had the same enthusiasm for 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 1959 socialist revolution.
Roca was expelled from his state job working with foreign investment. In August 1996, he linked up with three other Cuban professionals who favored change, economist Marta Beatriz Roque
Marta Beatriz Roque
Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello is a prominent Cuban political dissident. She is an economist by training, and the founder as well as director of the Cuban Institute of Independent Economists-Politics Activities:Ms...
, engineer Félix Bonne Carcassés and attorney René Gómez Manzano to form the Working Group for Internal Dissidence. In 1997 they issued the document "The Homeland Belongs to Us All", in which they defended human rights, called for an end to political discrimination, and criticized a draft document issued by the Communist Party before its national congress that year for distorting history and offering no pragmatic proposals for tackling the country's economic ills. Two weeks later, on July 16, 1997, the four were arrested. In March 1998 they were sentenced to prison terms ranging from three-and-a-half to five years on charges of sedition.
Roque, Bonne and Gómez were released in May 2000, but although Roca appeared also to meet the criteria for early release, he was instead subjected to four years of solitary confinement, incarceration in a remote prison far from his family, greatly restricted family visits, and virtually no medical care for his high blood pressure. It would appear that Roca was singled out for particularly severe treatment because he had been a member of the Cuban Communist Party and his father had been one of its founding members.
Roca entered prison an atheist, but was baptised Roman Catholic on September 24, 1999. He credited his new faith with helping him endure imprisonment.
He was finally released from prison on May 6, 2002, 70 days before his five-year-sentence would have expired.
In 2002, he won the Civil Courage Prize
Civil Courage Prize
The Civil Courage Prize is a human rights award which is awarded to "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor." It is awarded by the Trustees of The Train Foundation annually and may be awarded posthumously....
, which recognizes "steadfast resistance to evil at great personal risk — rather than military valor."
He is married to Magaly de Armas, and they have a son and a daughter.