the municipality of Guantánamo. In 2006, he became responsible for overseeing Cuba's international education programs. José Ramón Machado has been described as "a hardline communist ideologue and old guard revolutionary." On 10 January 2007, he represented Cuba at the inauguration of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Machado was elected by the National Assembly of People's Power as First Vice-President of the Council of State on 24 February 2008, at the same time as Raúl Castro's election as President. On 19 April 2021, Machado retired from the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba following the 8th Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba. The party's national newspaper Granma wrote on April 21, 2021 that Machado will accompany the new generation in transit to assume their responsibilities. The position of Second Secretary has been abolished. References External links GlobalSecurity.org Biography by CIDOB (in Spanish) 1930 births Living people People from Camajuaní Communist Party of Cuba politicians Vice presidents of Cuba Health ministers of Cuba Members of the National Assembly of People's Power Cuban Marxists Cuban revolutionaries People of the Cuban Revolution