GG offers luncheon to staff and journalists 1954

Celebrating his first anniversary as Minister of Finance, Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez offered a luncheon on August 3rd, 1954 for his sub-secretaries Dr. Antonio Alonso Avila and Dr. Jorge Ruiz Cerda, the "directores generales, " and department heads, in addition to the journalists that cover this sector. Fun was had by all.

Journalists honor Gutiérrez 1953

Shortly after Gustavo Gutiérrez accepted the post of Minister of Finance in August of 1953 he was honored by journalists at a luncheon in Havana.

Havana Lions Club honors Gutiérrez 1953

While Gustavo Gutiérrez was Minister of Finance he was honored by the Havana chapter of the Lions Club. He held this miniterial post from 1953 until 1955. For more information please see October 2008 blog entry "Gutiérrez Steps Down as Finance Minister."

GG biography 1940 (from magazine "Valores Actuales de Cuba")

This is one of many publications that published biographical information about Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez during his lengthy career in civil service from 1919 to 1959.

For more biographical information please see blog entries for;

a. June 2008;

1) Biography "The Forgotten Man" by Berta G.Montalvo

2) Pioneer of 1940 Constitution by Enrique Llaca

3) Internationalist...by Carlos Marquez Sterling

b. October 2008;

1) C.W. Massaguer #2

2) Curriculum Vitae (English or Spanish)

c. November 2008;

1) Minister of Finance #2

2) G.G. Obituary...1959

University of Havana Law School Students 1915

This photograph, taken in 1915, shows a group of law students from the old University of Havana originally founded on January 5, 1728 by the Dominican order. Gustavo Gutiérrez is in the front row of  four standing students. He's first from the right. Other students are Berny Latour, Evelio Pina, Edelberto Ebra, Enrique Llansó, C. Machado, Antonio Berenguer, Jose Sabi, ?, Ricardo Ponce de la Torre, Carlos Jimenez de la Torre, T. Silverio, R. A. Maruri, Secundino Baños, Miguel Santa Cruz, J. Garcia Bayeliares, ?, Gustavo Ramirez Olivella, C. Blanco, Oscar Campos, Jose de Castro y Mauri, J. Jimenez Balamiro. These names were written by hand on the back side of the photograph and some of the last names were not legible. I did my best. The photograph was dedicated to Gustavo by a friend "affectionately" in 1953. His signature is illegible.

This photograph was taken at the entrance of the old University of Havana, not the present day University which was built later during the administration of Gerardo Machado inaugurated December 1927.

Press Conference for Housing Construction (Lechuga), 1952

The top photograph shows Gustavo Gutiérrez holding a press conference regarding housing construction and the "Plan Economico Minimo" held on June 2, 1952 in the offices of the Junta Nacional de Economia, ( National Board of Economy). Gustavo Gutiérrez was the president of that commission. Seated directly across from him is Dr. Jose Pardo Jimenez, Minister of Public Works who created the Law-decree for Economic Housing. To his right is journalist and personal friend of Gutiérrez, Ramon Vasconcelos.

In the newspaper article above Dr. Gutiérrez writes to journalist Carlos M. Lechuga in response to an article Mr. Lechuga wrote in El Mundo newspaper where the latter criticized Dr. Gutiérrez for calling immoral his objection over the proposed purchase by the State of lands on which to build an urban developement called la Ciudad Ferroviaria in the province of Camagüey. Dr. Gutiérrez opposed out of principle the idea that the State should pay for these lands out right for the creation of a lower income housing project (Ciudad Ferroviaria de Camagüey) and that in all parts of the world urbanization projects are developed in conjunction with the individuals that own the lands. He adds that instead, he has agreed, in conjunction with the National Housing Commission and the Counsel of Ministers, to loan the real estate developers a sum of $415,000, interest free, payable in 20 years, the extension of tax payments; incentives, all of which are included in the Law-decree for Economic Housing.

This project was submitted to the National Housing Commission (CNV) by the Workers and Employees Cooperative of Consolidated Railways and the Institute Columnas de Plata, (Cooperativa de Empleados y Obreros de los Ferrocarriles Consolidados and the Institución Columnas de Plata). "It constitutes the best project submitted to the CNV dealing with low income housing to date." Dr. Gutiérrez adds that he believes that these two groups will receive all the assistance from the State that is necessary. It seems these groups wanted the State to give them these lands for free as opposed to offering them a loan instead.

In the second part of this article he refers to a previous article written by Raúl Cepero Bonilla on December 4 of the previous year (?) in the newspaper Prensa Libre where the writer confirms Gustavo's assertion that he had nothing to do with the failure of the unification of the railway companies, acknowledged, as well, by the leaders of the United Railway Brotherhood (Hermandad Ferroviaria de los Unidos). He adds, "I'm not concerned if in this situation there was law firm wrong doing. It doesn't affect me. Law firms exist to facilitate business dealings that are legitimate and governments exist to stop those that are not."

In the following year Cuba would purchase from the British government all the land on which the Cuban railroads were built. For more information please see blog entry from October 2008, "Cuba Purchases British Railway Properties, 1953." This was a project that was spearheaded by Gutiérrez himself.

GG Attacks Soviet Vishinsky at the U.N. 1950

On December 19, 1950, Nicolas Rivero y Machado wrote an article for the Cuban newspaper, Avance, informing that the head of the Cuban delegation to the United Nations, Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, had accused the Soviet Ambassador, Vishinsky of conducting himself like a circus magician and that the Soviet aggression in Korea is part of a gigantic plan by the Kremlin to impose communism. For a less than adequate translation of the above article please see blog entry, "GG Accuses Soviet Vishinsky at the UN 1950."

"Cuba enjoys growth in prosperity" (Diario Nacional) 1956

On Spetember 5, 1956, the newspaper Diario Nacional published an interview with Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, then Minister/President of the National Council of Economy (Consejo Nacional de Economia) and Minister without Portfolio from 1955 until 1959. Dr. Gutiérrez was considered by some sources the de facto Minister of Economy. The title of the above article reads, "Cuba enjoys growth in prosperity."

Dr. Gutiérrez had affirmed on national television the night before that, "there does not exist an economic crisis in Cuba." He appeared on the program "Telemundo Pregunta" with a distinguished panel of journalists; Alfredo Nuñez Pascual, Jorge Horstmann and Carlos Robeño. He stated that, "Our country is experiencing at this moment such growth in all sectors that if this is not halted we will end up in what is called an excess of revenues"..."We are presently injecting $100,000,000 into the economy via President Batista's (economic) "Development Plan" which, by means of what is called "multiplied spectrum," will signify the mobilization of $400,000,000. When General Batista relinquishes power in 1959 we fear the cessation of this injection could bring about a crisis. But that concern is diminished as a result of our previous studies regarding this matter."...."Batista's success in Panama is undeniable. While other presidents followed protocol by giving formal speeches, our President requested that an economic and social theme be given to the Conference of Panama. At the upcoming meeting of Latin American nations in Washington we will take with us Batista's ideas. Among them is the abolition of double taxation."

In another part of the article Gutiérrez states that, " regarding the problem with the hydrometers, a technical necessity, it's an unpopular measure in a country like ours where we're not accustomed to these limitations, yet something has to be done." I believe Gutiérrez was referring here to the measuring and regulation of household water intake. Gustavo's daughter recalls having had conversations with her father in the late 50s where he expressed concern with the then deteriorating conditions of the public water works in Havana and with the need to have a major overhaul of the system, adding that the pipes were already quite old an in need of replacing, subsequently, fearing the contamination of the drinking water.

Batista was forced to return to Cuba due to personal matters before the Conference had ended and he assigned Gustavo Gutiérrez to replace him at the Conference. One may see a photograph of Dr. Gutiérrez, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and other heads of State at the Panama Conference in blog entry June 2008, "La Razon por este Blog (Mission Statement)."

The article, written by Fernando Carrendi begins with an 8 quotes summary.

1) "If this isn't halted we will end up in what is called an excess of revenue."

2) "The BANDES ( Banco de Desarroyo Economico y Social -Bank of Economic and Social Development) has been criticized not to carry out the tendering of funds for the creation of (public?) works, yet the speed and urgency for creating industries is so great that the results being pursued would end up falling short without the tendering of funds."

3) " The increase of funds of the BANDES has not encumbered the citizenry. These are budgetary surpluses that are used to foment economic development."

4) "It's logical that we strengthen or defenses due to a climate of insurrection and now also the danger of a foreign aggressor (Trujillo from the Dominican Republic)."

5) " I sincerely feel it's shameful the frivolous attitute with which the Cuban people are taking the problem with Trujillo."

6) "It's not true that Batista will greet Trujillo in Panama with an embrace."

7) ' The triumph of President Batista at the meeting of the Heads of State is undeniable."

8) The National Institute of Statistics will soon commence operation."

Letter to C. Lechuga (El Mundo)

GG First payment from A. Sánchez de Bustamante 1915

In 1915 Gustavo Gutiérrez received his first check while working for Cuba's most prestigious law firm headed by it's founder, Antonio Sanchez de Bustamante, whose signature can be seen in the bottom right hand portion of the check. Gustavo was 20 years old at the time. The 50 pesos were paid in gold. His father, Miguel Gutiérrez y Gutiérrez, a wealthy tobacco grower and Spanish immigrant from Santillana del Mar, Santander province in northern Spain, had to sign (on the back side) for his young son, most likely because Gustavo had no bank account of his own.

Sánchez de Bustamante Law Firm 1942

The law firm headed by Antoino Sánchez de Bustamante was the most prestigious law firm in Cuba at the time. In this photograph we see seated from left to right; Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, Dr. Miguel Angel de l a Campa, Dr. Antonio Sanchez de Bustamante, Dr. Jose Manuel Cortina, Dr. Hernandez Cartaya. On the top row, standing, we find Dr. Cesar Salaya, Dr. Alberto del Junco and (the tallest centered in the middle) Dr. José Manuel Cortina y Corrales, among others. The exact date of this photograph is not known. I have "guess-timated" the date as being 1942. It was most likely taken between the late 1930s and the early 1940s.

Chapultapec Conference, Mexico CIty 1945

The Mexican newspaper El Universal published an article on the 21st of February, 1945, announcing the "Conferencia para el Estudio de los Problemas de la Guerra y de la Paz en America" (Conference for the Study of the Problems of War and Peace in América) which took place in the Legislative Palace in Mexico City.

The above picture shows Dr Gutiérrez with his wife and the wife of Cuban delegate, Dr. Emilio Nuñez Portuondo. The top photograph shows the Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies). The Cuban delegation is in the front row and Gr. Gutiérrez can be seen third from the top. Follow the balding head!

The Cuban Delegation consisted of Gustavo Cuervo Rubio, César Salaya, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Guillermo Belt, Marco A. Kohly, Ernesto Dihigo, Pelayo Cuervo Navarro, Luis Machado, Eduardo R. Chibas, Ramiro Hernandez Portela, Emilio Nuñez Portuondo, Gonzalo Güell, Manuel Bisbé, Mariano Brull, Manuel Dorta Duque, Alberto Espinoza.

In 2008 Indiana University Press published "Human Rights at the UN, The Political History of Universal Justice," written by Roger Normand and Sarah Zaidi. Under the heading "Chapultapec: Rebellion or Reaction?" the authors write, "The dissatisfaction of Latin American governments found expression in an extraordinary meeting in February 1945 at Chapultapec Castle in Mexico City, where twenty Latin American countries and a large delegation from the United States participated in the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace. They reviewed the Dunbarton Oaks proposals in details and introduced 150 draft resolutions urging substantial reforms, many addressing human rights. (49)"..."Cuba submitted two detailed proposals for consideration, a "Draft Declaration of the International Rights and Duties of the Individual" and a "Draft Declaration on the Rights and Duties of Nations. (50)" These two drafts were written by Dr. Gustavo Gutierrez in a book entitled La Carta Magna de la Comunidad de Naciones. Please see blog entry for December, 2008 entitled "The Magna Carta of the Community of Nations, 1945." Later that year the Cuban delegation in San Francisco would present the Gutierrez draft for consideration in the creation of a universal declaration of human rights. Please see blog entry Universal Declaration of Human Rights #1, December, 2010.

GG Prepares the Capitol Building for International Conference 1947 (Havana Charter)

The above article written by Fernando Villaverde, appeared in a Havana newspaper on November 18, 1947. The title reads, "He gives a bath to the Capitol Building." Mr. Villaverde interviewed Dr. Gustavo Gutiérrez who at the time was president of the auxiliary commission in charge of preparing the Capital Building for the upcoming United Nations World Conference on the Expansion of Commerce and Employment. Cuba and Dr. Gutiérrez hosted the conference on the 21st of December, 1947, representing 57 nations and with 2,500 delegates in attendance. (Please see blog entry, "The Havana Charter (La Carta de la Habana) 1947/48, October, 2008). Dr. Gutiérrez closed the conference with a speech that can be read in blog entry " Havana Charter GG closing remarks, 1948" February, 2010.

Dr. Gutiérrez's daughter Yolanda shares with us this anecdote. " During the weeks prior to the Conference I recall my father saying with great frustration, " This is the city where every difficulty and inconvenience can be surely predicted and expected."