Free Society Project, also known as Cuba Archive (“Archivo Cuba” in Spanish), is a non-profit organization incorporated in 2001 in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to promote human rights through research and information.

Board of Directors
Advisory Board
Our Team

José Azel, Ph.D. Entrepreneur, author, and former Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, and Adjunct Professor of International Business at the University of Miami.

Argelio Maldonado, President of the Board. Entrepreneur, consultant, and former international executive for Charles Schwab, IBM, Citibank, LifeSavers Candy and P&G with an MBA from Columbia University.

María E. Pérez, Treasurer of the Board. Former computer industry executive, and founder of the non-profit project, Cuba Art New York.

Alexis Romay, Secretary of the Board. Author, professor, and founder of the Cuba-themed blog “Belascoaín y Neptuno” with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Havana and a Masters of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature from the City University of New York.

Maria C. Werlau, Founder. Scholar/author. (See more in Staff.)

We remember

Our co-founders Armando Lago, Ph.D. (1939-2008) and María (Cuca) Pino de Cañizares (1934-2008)

and our beloved and longtime director Manuel (Manny) Pérez (1947-2022).

Pedro Corzo. Journalist, filmmaker, and former political prisoner, President of the Instituto de la Memoria Histórica Cubana contra el Totalitarismo.

Enrique Encinosa. Author and radio commentator.

Ambassador Dennis K. Hays. Lecturer and consultant on National Security Affairs retired from the U.S. Foreign Service.

Mario Félix Lleonart. Baptist pastor and founder of Instituto Patmos.

Eduardo Palmer. TV executive and cinematographer.

Ambassador Otto J. Reich. Consultant, former Assistant Secretary of State and former U.S. Ambassador to Venezuela.

Father José Conrado Rodríguez. Author and Catholic parish priest in Trinidad, Cuba.

Laura Ymayo Tartakoff, J.D., Instructor at Case Western Reserve University and author.

We remember

Luis Aguilar León (1925-2008)
Father Miguel Loredo (1938-2011)
Juan Clark, Ph.D. (1939-2013)

Carlos Alberto Montaner (1943-2023)

Executive Director
Maria C. Werlau. Analyst, consultant, and author of wide-ranging publications on Cuban affairs. She is a former Second Vice President of the Chase Manhattan Bank and has a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a Masters in International Relations from Universidad de Chile.

Research Director
George Utset. Founder of TheRealCuba.com and former international executive.

Research Assistant
William Bleisath. College student.

A first-rate team of other professionals handles administration, technology, translations, and other tasks.