Carlos García-Ordóñez

Carlos García-Ordóñez studied law at the University of La Habana and then worked in his father’s office. García-Ordóñez became a renowned jurist as well as a consultant to the Ministry of Justice. A keen sportsman, he played both basketball and tennis, and had been a rower in his youth. In the latter he competed in interclub regattas at a national level, in addition to serving as a coxswain. He went to Canada to complete his secondary education at Ridley College in St. Catharines, Ontario, where he also distinguished himself on the basketball court. In 1952 García-Ordóñez was selected to represent Cuba at the Helsinki Olympics, playing in six matches during the tournament. His older brother Raúl was also a basketball player, who represented Cuba at the 1948 London Olympics.

In 1960 García-Ordóñez left Cuba, moving with his family to Miami, Florida, where he worked for a law firm for the next two years. During this time, he joined the Navy of the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front, assisting other Cuban exiles in the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion. Afterwards, he relocated to Manhattan, again working as a lawyer. By 1965 García-Ordóñez had been posted to South America, working for law firms based in Buenos Aires, Asunción, and Rio de Janeiro. He later returned to Miami, where he contributed political columns to the El Nuevo Herald newspaper, in addition to writing two books about his time in exile.