Posted at 12:15 p.m. EDT Thursday, June 24, 1999

Sons of late Cuban dictator meet at Cuban Museum

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- (AP) -- The three oldest sons of Fulgencio Batista, the dictator kicked out of Cuba by Fidel Castro's revolution, came together for the first time in four years amid paintings, sculpture and fine furniture from home.

F. Ruben, Jorge and Robert Batista attended a meeting of the Cuban Foundation Tuesday at the Cuban Museum in the Daytona Beach's Museum of Arts and Sciences.

It also marked the first time they were together visiting the 40-year-old museum, which houses Cuban artworks originating between 1800 to 1959.

The Cuban Museum's original 80 objects were donated to the city of Daytona Beach by Fulgencio Batista, then-Cuban president in 1957.

``I think I remember this,'' said Jorge as he examined a baroque-style painting of the Assumption of the Virgin. It hung above a rosewood-and-ivory desk in the 3,000-square-foot gallery.

Ruben Batista, who lives in Coral Gables, is president of the Cuban Foundation. Robert lives in Madrid. Jorge lived in Daytona Beach as a child and now divides his time between Madrid and New York. The brothers said they usually stay in touch by telephone.

A fourth Batista son, Fuljencio Jose, lives in Spain. There are three Batista daughters. Martha Malouf lives in Palm Beach. Mirta Ponse Domenech and Alisa Batista are Miami residents.

Fulgencio Batista was Cuba's elected president from 1940 to 1944. In 1952 he ousted the government and became president again, ruling from 1952 until Castro's rise to power in 1959. He died in Spain in 1973.

Copyright 1999 Miami Herald