Ramon M. Barquin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article does not cite any references or sources. (March 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (March 2008)

Col. Ramon M. Barquin was a noted educator, soldier, author, historian, diplomat, athlete and entrepreneur. He was a major actor in Cuban events during the 1950’s when he tried to overthrow the Batista dictatorship and return Cuba to democracy. From his post as Cuban military attaché to the U.S., he conspired to right the things that had gone wrong in his native country. His failed coup attempt in April 1956, six months before Castro landed in Western Cuba to start his guerrilla campaign, would have significantly changed the course of events in Cuba and impacted world history had it been successful.

After Batista’s flight on New Year’s Day 1959, Barquin was liberated from political prison where he had been serving an eight year term, and was heavily involved in assuring a bloodless transition to the new revolutionary government ushered in by the Cuban Supreme Court on that day. A recipient of the U.S. Legion of Merit, Degree of Commander, the highest honor the U.S. grants a foreigner, he did not fit in a regime that was going to move toward communism and was shunted to an ambassadorial post in Europe from which he resigned in mid-1960 and came as an exile to the United States.

He was born in Cienfuegos, Cuba in 1914 and joined the Cuban Army in 1933. He was commissioned an officer after graduating from the Cuban Military Academy in 1941 and served until 1956. He was a graduate of the Mexican War College and of many courses in various U.S. Army schools.

Col. Barquin was a presence in the Washington, DC area during the early 1950’s when he was appointed Cuban Military Attaché to the U.S. as well as head of the Cuban delegation to the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB). He also served as Vice-Chair of the IADB later during his tenure, and it was for this work that he was awarded the Legion of Merit in 1955.

After a brief period involved in anti-Castro activity out of Miami, Barquin settled in Puerto Rico where in 1961 he established a school that would become an educational consortium and today consists of a K-12 institution (the American Military Academy), summer camps, a university (Atlantic College), and an institute for civic education (Instituto de Formacion Democratica). For his educational and entrepreneurial activities in Puerto Rico he was recognized with numerous medals, awards and honors, including Educator of the Year in 1995.

As an author, he wrote several books on Cuban history and on education. His latest book – My Dialogues with Fidel, Raul and Che -- is scheduled for publication later this spring. As an athlete, Barquin became a late blooming marathoner running his first event after becoming 60. He won the New York City Marathon in the 80 plus category in 1994 and his time 5 hrs 5 sec went unmatched for several years.

He passed away in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 3, 2008 of cancer

REFERENCES: "Ramón Barquín, Cuban Colonel, Dies at 93," by Anthony DePalma, New York Times, March 6, 2008. (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/world/americas/06barquin.html?pagewanted=all)

"Ramón M. Barquín, 93; Led Failed '56 Coup in Cuba," by Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post, March 6, 2008. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/05/AR2008030503300.html)