Alfredo Rodríguez Bernal

Alfredo Rodríguez Bernal (1877-1960)

He was born on January 9, 1877 in San Antonio de las Vegas, Havana Province, although he came to live in Güines while very young, feeling himself as Güinero as the waters of the Mayabeque, because he grew up, formed his family and became wealthy there.

He was a true farmer and an outstanding sugar plantation expert, being considered as the first one in Havana Province.

He started to work at the early age of 9 years when he lost his father and became an orphan with two younger brothers, having to help his mother to support the house. He got a job at Amistad Sugar Mill as a carpenter’s apprentice and after some time advanced and became a true master in this trade. While living in the sugar mill, he married María Josefa Marín Cruz, and from this marriage, 7 children were born.

His dedication to work, his crystal clear honesty and his practical knowledge of the planting and harvesting of the sugar cane, called the attention of the owners of the sugar mill the Gómez Mena family and they gave him, after negotiating with him, their first sugar plantation, Ayala starting his life as a sugar plantation owner in the Villa of Güines. Immediate success crowned his efforts and to this sugar plantation others followed, such as El Marabú and Buenos Aires, establishing in this latter one a modern dairy business whose total production was sold to the Compañia Pasteurizadora Santa Beatriz, S.A. (Santa Beatriz Pasteurizing Company, Inc.).

His successful work as a sugar plantation owner, made him reach another landmark in his ascending career in Güines agriculture being appointed by Don Alfonso Gómez Mena as Administrator of Mercedita Sugar Mill located in the Municipality of Melena del Sur, where he acted as such for 12 consecutive years, and then Compañia Azucarera Gómez Mena, S.A. (Gómez Mena Sugar Company, Inc.) adjudicated to him another two sugar plantations in that area, Garzón and La Teresa where in this last one due to its location near the southern coast and part of the farm having low and swampy parts, he started extensive rice crops.

In the boundary between Matanzas and Las Villas Provinces, he purchased San Pedro de Mayabón a large cattle ranch of more than 120 caballerías (equivalent to 1,610.4 hectares) where he raised Brahma cattle and which was very successful.

Besides all of this, he created a partnership with René Rocha and Mercedes Gómez Mena under the trade name Rocha and Rodríguez, dedicated to the cultivation of rice in farms adjacent to La Teresa and also in that farm.

After working as Administrator of Mercedita, he decided to return to his sugar plantations and other businesses at that time already being managed by his two sons Alfredito in the area of Güines and Ricardo (Cucho) in the area of Melena del Sur. His businesses provided jobs and livelihoods to hundreds of Güineros who were able to support their families in a dignified and honest manner.

He was a benefactor of institutions from Güines, among them Güines Lyceum, to which he donated the beautiful plaster of Paris columns that decorated its principal hall, the same as the ones he had in the living room of his home. He also contributed to Güines Volunteer Firemen Corps, to Castellanos Arango Municipal Hospital later on named Aleida Fernández Chardiet, to San José de la Montaña Orphanage and others institutions in the Villa.

He never completely retired from his loved sugar plantations or his businesses that prospered day by day, until December 31, 1959 at the beginning of the so called revolution as green as the palm trees when he was visiting his farm La Teresa being driven by his faithful and inseparable friend and chauffeur Argelio Barrios when two militiamen armed with submachine guns, prevented him from entering his property, telling him that the same now belonged to the people.

All his properties were confiscated by the so-called robolution without any indemnification. Five days later and as a consequence of the strong emotional shock received when he realized that so many years of sacrifice, struggle and work were turned into nothing, he suffered a diabetic coma, dying on January 5, 1960 in his beloved Villa of Güines at his home #369 Havana Street, at 83 years of age.

Continue to: Leandro Rodríguez Colina