A few days ago, in the cold lands of the northern United States, died one of the men that best embodied the fostering of the progress of the sugar industry, the main industry of Cuba, before the arrival of the dark night that still engulfs it; the one that historically was the major contributor of hard currency to the national treasury not only in the last years of the Cuban republic, which extends up to 1958; but even from the colonial times when Cuba was under the domination of Spain; in the republic after having obtained its independence and even in this long 40-year period under the current communist regime.
I am referring to Baldomero Casas Fernández (B.C.F.), who, as the product of his efforts and great hardship, became the owner of two sugar mills (centrals) in the former Cuban province of Oriente: Borjita and Baltony.
Really, at a personal level, I have felt sorrow for the passing away of such a valuable citizen, because those who, like myself, dealt with him, came to appreciate the values which he personified.
A man of strong temper, he rose from below, through his own efforts and toil until becoming one of the leaders of the recovery of the Cuban sugar industry so that it would pass on to national hands and allow it, as it was achieved, to become an example worthy of following.
When I first met B.C.F. I held the post of Secretary General of the Workers’ Federation of Oriente Province and even back then I can point out that as an employer he was a person of extraordinary sensibility towards those who worked in both his sugar mills. He was always fair with his workers and his great concern resided not only in obtaining profit from his economic investments but also in that the men who worked in his businesses were well remunerated and enjoyed the laws that the nation at that time enacted for the economic and social progress of the Cuban worker.
In the city of Palma Soriano, in the office of attorney Cipriano Cerguera, who acted as a sort of public relations representative for B.C.F., besides attending independently to many legal matters, we often got together to analyze and try to settle grievances between employer and worker.
Never did we notice in B.C.F. a prepotent employer, rather somebody willing to solve problems that could or had occurred; because always, as a badge of pride, he pointed out to us the path from his humble beginnings up to the top position of being not only a creator of wealth, but jointly with other Cubans of vision, of having taken up the task of returning the sugar industry to the hands of Cubans.
The Cuban business class, especially that dealing with sugar, has lost one of its great men, with the greatest vision and most noble principles.
Cuba must again travel along the roads of liberty and in said new beginning it will have --at least in the sugar industry-- to imitate in its concerns and efforts to whom, like B.C.F., traced trails of mandatory follow-up for making Cuba what it was in the past: the sugar bowl of the world.
And, if God permits it, when we all go back to the general assemblies,
we shall dedicate words of remembrance in homage of he who was worthy of
affection by all who knew him, especially the Cuban sugar workers.
Priciliano Falcón S.
Jose A. Costa
Rafael Naranjo
Secretary General
Recording Secretary
Organization Secretary
January 13, 1998