| Espinosa Martin, Ramon* |
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| Rank: |
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Army Corps General |
| DOB: |
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1939 |
| Province: |
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Las Villas |
| Education: |
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Military Sciences, USSR |
| Position: |
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Chief of Eastern Army and Member of the
Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party |
|
As a young peasant, Espinosa joined the anti-Batista "July 26th Movement" underground organization in Havana until he became a member of the Rebel Army. He was distinguished as a soldier as well as an officer. He was promoted to the rank of Major after Castro's take over.
He is not perceived as a "historico," nor associated with any specific group. He is one of the many who joined the Castro movement early on. He is seen as an example of a dedicated studious person who became an outstanding officer. As a captain, he was chosen together with Raul Menendez Tomassevich to infiltrate in Venezuela,
in early 1963. He was accompanied by a group of leaders from the Venezuelan "Movimiento de la Izquierda Revolucionaria' (MIR), to organize a rebellion in that country. He was captured and jailed for several years, and freed through negotiations in the 1970s.
In 1975, he served in Angola and was entrusted with the defense of the province Cabinda. His military actions were important and highly praised by the Castro brothers. Since 1984, Espinosa has been the Chief of the Eastern Army, being the only general in command of a region for such a long period. General Espinosa was awarded the medal of Hero of the Rebublic of Cuba in 1989. His participation in the difficult campaign in Angola probably won him that medal. In December 1989, Espinosa was one of the first to receive the military medal "Por la Victoria Cuba-Angola," awarded to all veterans of the war. General Espinosa was the president of the Special Military tribunal that tried and sentenced Arnaldo Ochoa and other officers involved in the narcotics-corruption scandal that rocked Cuba in 1989. General Espinosa is not perceived as a member of the inner circle of the Castro brothers. He has a reputation as an honest man and not a heavy drinker. He is highly professional and enjoys respect and prestige. General Espinosa is essentially a soldier, not a political figure as Colome Ibarra or Senen Casas Regueiro.
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Time Line:
| 1959 |
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Official, Armed Forces |
| 1965 |
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Member, Communist Party |
| 1972 |
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Chief of Staff, Central Army |
| 1975 |
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Chief, Cuban Troops in Cabinda, Angola |
| 1976 |
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Wound Rehabilitation, Angola |
| 1978 |
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Student, General Academy of the Soviet Union |
| 1979 |
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Brigade General, MINFAR |
| 1980 |
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Chief, Military Mission, Angola - Effective Member, Central Committee |
| 1981 |
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Brigadier General, MINFAR - Member Central Committee MINFAR |
| 1983 |
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Chief, Eastern Army |
| 1984 |
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Division General - Member, Communist Party - Chief of the Eastern Army, MINFAR - ANPP, Ranchuelo, Villa Clara |
| 1989 |
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Effective Member, Central Committee - Chief, Eastern Army - Division General |
| 2001 |
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Reported in Diario Granma [01/31/01] as Army Corps General |
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