Ricardo Alarcón, Castro Confidant And Top Cuban Envoy, Dies

Before becoming a parliamentarian, Alarcón served as foreign minister and twice Cuba's ambassador to the United Nations.

Ricardo Alarcón, who was for years the head of Cuba's parliament and one of the country's most prominent diplomats, has died in Havana, authorities in Cuba said Sunday. He was 84 years old.

Alarcón was the trusted adviser to Fidel Castro, and his brother and successor Raúl, for decades and was a key negotiator in difficult talks with the United States in issues including immigration and the legal battle for the return of the child Elián González to Cuba in 2000.

Alarcón did not participate directly in negotiations that led to the island's thaw with Washington in 2014 under the direction of Presidents Barack Obama and Raúl Castro, since he had by that time left public life.