Clemente G. Gomez-Rodriguez

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Clemente Guillermo Gomez-Rodriguez (born January 25, 1939 in Havana, Cuba) is a former defense lawyer forced out of a 22-year long legal career in Cuba as punishment for trying to leave the country. He is now a Spanish-language writer in the United States.

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[edit] Life and career

Gomez studied in Catholic schools in Cuba (La Salle and La Luz). He was arrested at age 16 in 1955 for participating in a rally against the regime of Fulgencio Batista. He went on to study law at the Law School of the University of Havana. As a defense attorney, he participated in over fifteen thousand criminal cases, including as a member of the defense team on the famous case of General and former Cuban Minister of the Interior Jose Abrantes Fernandez (Case #1-1989 along with Arnaldo Ochoa and Patricio and Antonio de la Guardia).

Gomez was arrested for trying to leave Cuba and sentenced to two years in prison. Upon his release, he was allowed to go to the United States as a political refugee, with most of his family. He was assisted in entering the United States by his cousin's son, Alonso R. del Portillo, Assistant District Director to Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 2001. Due to ill health, he retired to dedicate the rest of his life to writing. His first book, Te Van A Fusilar (They Will Execute You), was published in 2007.

Gomez lives in Miami with three of his children and his wife. He has ten grandchildren.

[edit] Family

Gomez is the son of former Cuban Army Major Clemente Ricardo Gomez-Sicre (1906-1983) and Maria del Carmen Rodriguez-Fontanills (1915-1943). He and his first wife, Gladys Brito-Izquerdo (1941- ) had three children, Dr. Maria del Carmen (1962- ), Dr. Elisa Alina (1963- ) and Clemente Romualdo Gomez-Brito (1967- ). He later married Elena Gonzalez-Reloba (1948- ), with whom he had one son, Clemente Segundo Gomez-Gonzalez (1982- ). Gomez' sister, Isolina Elisa (1942- ), is married to Cuban diplomat Dr. Alfonso Fraga-Perez, and still lives in Havana, Cuba. His other sister, Guillermina (1940- ), is married to Jose Ribe-Lorenzo and lives in Miami, Florida.

Gomez is the grandson of the Brigadier General Clemente Romualdo Gomez-Diaz, who served in the Cuban Independence War. He shares his profession with his uncle Jose Gomez-Sicre, who aside from working as a lawyer is also a noted art critic and author. Other relatives of Gomez' have also contributed to the arts in Cuba; his great-granduncle Antonio Rodriguez-Ferrer authored the musical introductory notes to the Cuban national anthem, while his cousin Juan Jose Sicre created the José Martí Memorial, the most famous sculpture of José Martí y Pérez, located at Havana's Plaza de la Revolución.

[edit] References

[edit] About Gomez

  • Gómez, Dr. Clemente (2007). Te Van A Fusilar. Talleres de Rodes Printing. ISBN 1890829374. (Spanish)
  • Alfonso, Pablo. "Abrantes Encara de 3 a 15 Anos", El Nuevo Herald, August 26, 1989. (Spanish) 
  • Beruvides, Esteban M. (1994). Cuba: Anuario Histórico 1990. 12th Ave. Graphics.  (Spanish)

[edit] About the Jose Abrantes Fernandez case

  • Suchlicki, Jaime (2002). Cuba: From Columbus to Castro and Beyond. Potomac Books Inc.. ISBN 9781574884364. 
  • Zatz, Marjorie (1994). Producing Legality: Law and Socialism in Cuba (After the Law). Routledge. ISBN 9780415908573. 
  • Fernandez, Frank (2001). Cuban Anarchism: The History of a Movement. See Sharp Press. ISBN 9781884365195. 

[edit] Television Appearances

  • Polos Opuestos, June 2007, on WSBS TV (Mega TV) - One hour interview interview with Maria Elena Salazar about his book, Te Van a Fusilar.
  • A Mano Limpia, June 2007, on WJAN TV (America TeVé) - One hour interview with Oscar Haza regarding his book, Te Van a Fusilar, and the Cuban criminal case #1-1989.
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