JA Pérez is a Cuban
humanitarian, author, and
evangelist.[1] He has written more than 20 books[2] under the
pseudonym of Jorge Armando Pérez Venâncio, taking the second last name of Venâncio, in honor of his grandfather, Francisco Venâncio.
Early life
J.A. Pérez was born in a small village named El Gabriel,[3] in the province of
Havana, Cuba. He has two younger brothers. His father, Armando Pérez Martín, is a
radiologist; his mother, Teresita Juana María Hernandez, is an English teacher and
controller for an American
tobacco company.
His twin younger brothers suffered from health problems as children, requiring frequent hospitalizations. Consequently, Pérez spent most of his childhood years under the care of his maternal grandparents, Francisco Venâncio Hernandez and Hilda Alfonso.
Early influences
Pérez was influenced greatly by his grandfather Francisco,[4] who was known in El Gabriel as "Pancho el Largo" (meaning "Tall Frank" in English). Francisco was a tall man, born and raised by monks in a
monastery in the
Canary Islands.[5]
When Pérez was young, his grandfather would read him short stories and passages from an old
Nacar Colunga Bible. By the time Pérez was five years old, he knew all of
Aesop's Fables[6] by heart.[7]
Humanitarian work
Pérez runs an organization which brings
humanitarian campaigns to countries in Latin America. His team includes medical professionals, family counselors, and volunteers. The organization recently held a Humanitarian Festival in Costa Rica called the "Republic of Joy", with over 18,000 people in attendance.[8][9][10][11] Teams of doctors and dentists worked during the day at the Rafael Ángel Camacho Cordero Stadium, providing care to low-income families.[12]
Mass events
Pérez also organizes festivals which are held at stadiums or plazas. During the day, ongoing educational workshops are offered. Arts, theater, and music productions are held, with a concert every night. At every festival, Pérez speaks to the audience.[13][14]
Other mass events were held in 2014 in
Corail,
Beaumont, and
Roseaux in Haiti. There, Pérez collaborated with the
Luis Palau Association to hold a city-wide concert by the Reggae group
Christafari.
Las Suegras: 7 principios para mejorar las relaciones entre nueras y suegras
ISBN978-1450574839 Publisher: Independent Publishing Platform (July 1, 2009)[19]
^In the Book "
Los Profetas de Gúlumm"
ISBN978-0578023205 Publisher: Keen Sight Books (May 27, 2009))(The Prophets of Gulumm) the 'About the Author' section talks about the influence grandfather Francisco had on his grandson.
^The majority of the ancestry of White
Cubans comes from
Spain. During the 18th, 19th and early part of the 20th century especially, large waves of Canary Islanders, Galicians, Asturians, and Catalans emigrated from Spain to Cuba.
^In the book "
Saber Llegar:No se trata de llegar primero" (en: 'Knowing how to arrive: It's not about getting there first')
ISBN978-1456399801 Published: January 6, 2010 J.A. Pérez talks about how his grandfather influenced his life and how he learned all of Aesop's Fables as his grandfather read them to him as a boy.
^Las Suegras: 7 principios para mejorar las relaciones entre nueras y suegras
ISBN978-1450574839 Publisher: Independent Publishing Platform (July 1, 2009)