Carlos Franqui

Carlos Franqui
Carlos Franqui, 2006 in front of a painting with one of his poems
Born	(1921-12-04)December 4, 1921 Cifuentes, Cuba
Died	April 16, 2010(2010-04-16) (aged 88) San Juan, Puerto Rico
Organization(s)	Revolución, Radio Rebelde
Movement	26th of July Movement

Carlos Franqui (December 4, 1921 – April 16, 2010) was a Cuban writer, poet, journalist, art critic, and political activist. After the Fulgencio Batista coup in 1952, he became involved with the 26th of July Movement which was headed by Fidel Castro. Upon the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959, he was placed in charge of the rebellion's newspaper Revolución, which became an official government publication. When he came to have political differences with the regime, he left Cuba with his family. In 1968 he broke with the Cuban government when he signed a letter condemning the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. He became a vocal critic of the Castro government, writing frequently until his death on April 16, 2010.