Dagoberto Valdés Hernández

Who is Dagoberto Valdés Hernández?

Dagoberto Valdés Hernández is a Catholic intellectual and the editor and founder of Vitral and “Convivencia” magazines.

In 1974, when he graduated from Senior High School, he intended to study Sociology but he was denied access to this career. At that time believers in God were allowed to study only scientific or technical careers in Cuba. He graduated from Agronomic Engineering at the University of Pinar del Río in 1980. He taught as guest professor in that university and he was part of a Group of Research on Agricultural Mechanization.

For 16 years he worked in the Tobacco Enterprise in Pinar del Río and he was the president of its Advising Technical Board during five years. On May 2, 1996 he was expelled from his job because he was the editor-in chief of the Catholic Magazine “VITRAL”. He was sent to work in the field as a member of a squad that used to pick “yaguas”. He was punished to work there for 10 years and a month.

On June 2, 2006 he was transferred back to the same Tobacco Enterprise in Pinar del Río as engineer, to control the quality of tobacco. In October of that year he was appointed again to be the president of the Advising Technical Board in the Enterprise. But it was a new trick. In February 2007 he resigned from his job because he was receiving a different and discriminatory treatment compared to the rest of engineers and workers. This was a fact along the 26 years working as a professional.