Jose “Pepe” Viera Linares, a former Cuban diplomat, visited the University of Mary Washington on Thursday, Sept. 20 and Friday, Sept. 21.
He gave a public lecture “Cuba Today: Changes to Remain Unchanged” on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall, Room 411. Viera Linares also spoke to international affairs students in the U.S. Foreign Policy course during his visit.
Viera Linares served as first deputy minister for the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also known as MINREX, from 1981 to 1990. His career as a diplomat spanned nearly 30 years, including positions at MINREX, the Interior Ministry and the Cuban Embassy in Bolivia. He also served as counselor to the Cuban United Nations Mission in the 1960s. From 1994 to 2010, Viera Linares served as a legal adviser for various companies. Currently, he is visiting and lecturing at various universities in the United States.
Viera Linares received a bachelor’s of law from Havana University, a certificate of English studies from Louisiana State University and a certificate of studies of property rights in Cuba from the Union of Cuban Lawyers.
For more information, contact the office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at (540) 654-1052.