On behalf of his comrades of the @PCC, which he gave prestige with his exemplarity, and the people of #Cuba, to which he devoted his life tirelessly, our heartfelt embrace to the family and friends of Commander Jose Ramon Balaguer Cabrera, the president wrote on his Twitter account.
Balaguer, who died on Friday, served in various military, diplomatic, party and governmental positions until 2019, when he requested his release due to illness.
Born in 1932 in the city of Guantánamo, Balaguer joined joined the fight against the Fulgencio Batista tyranny in 1952, a reason for which he was imprisoned. In 1958 he joined the Rebel Army as a combatant and a doctor at the 2nd Frank Pais Eastern Front.
After the triumph of the Revolution, he held several military and leadership positions in the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) and was a member of the Central Committee, its Secretariat and the Political Bureau.
Balaguer also served as Cuban ambassador to the Soviet Union, later the Russian Federation, was a deputy at the National People’s Power Assembly and minister of Public Health.
He was a founder of the PCC and received several decorations and awards granted by the Council of State. According to a press release broadcast on Cuban television, upon his death, he left as a legacy an example of dedication, responsibility and loyalty.
Prensa Latina/PCC.