In memoriam: Professor Antonio Fidel Romero Gómez, teacher, researcher and leading figure in Caribbean thought
With deep sorrow, we regret to inform you of the passing of Professor Antonio Fidel Romero Gómez (Sancti Spiritus March 23, 1961 – Havana November 22, 2025), President of the Norman Girvan Chair of Caribbean Studies and distinguished Cuban economist, exceptional academic and leading figure in Caribbean studiesHis departure leaves an irreparable void in the university, academic and diplomatic community of Cuba, the Caribbean and Latin America.
Dr. Romero Gómez excelled in the field of international economics and development studies. He dedicated more than four decades to the University of Havana, where he served as a Full Professor at the Center for International Economics Research (CIEI) and as Chair of the Norman Girvan Chair of Caribbean Studies. He was also Dean of the Faculty of Economics (2017–2020), Director of the CIEI for a decade, and a founding member of the Working Group "Crisis, Responses, and Alternatives in the Greater Caribbean" since its inception. His career transcended borders: he lectured in Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America, represented Cuba with distinction in international organizations, and made decisive contributions to the analysis of international economic relations, regional integration, and the development of the Greater Caribbean.
His intellectual work includes more than sixty specialized publications and a long career in research, teaching, academic collaboration, and institutional service. In recognition of his valuable contribution, the Simón Bolívar University (Colombia) awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences and Humanities in 2015.
Those of us who had the privilege of knowing him and working alongside him will remember him for his academic rigor, his intellectual generosity, and his unwavering commitment to training new generations of professionals whom he mentored as a professor and tutor in undergraduate, diploma, master's, and doctoral programs.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and students. His legacy will live on in the ideas, projects, and teachings he sowed with dedication, honesty, and excellence.
November 23th 2025
Norman Girvan Chair of Caribbean Studies at the University of Havana
CLACSO Working Group Crisis, responses and alternatives in the Greater Caribbean
This text expresses the position of the aforementioned Working Group and not necessarily that of the centers and institutions that make up the CLACSO international network, its Steering Committee or its Executive Secretariat.
