Dagoberto Valdés Hernández was born on August 4, 1955 in western province of Cuba – Pinar del Rio. He has three children. Having graduated from the university with engineering degree in agriculture Hernández started tutoring. He was a member of a research group dealing with mechanization of farming. Being Catholic Hernández was not allowed to continue his scholarly career. Also because of religion he could not enroll for sociological or legal studies he had dreamt of. Catholics were allowed to study only technical specializations.

Then he was forced to work in cigar factory in Pinar del Rio where he labored for 16 years until the year 1996. Being promoted he moved to the position of Chairman of Technical Council which gathered 87 engineers. It was in 1994 that a catholic newspaper “Vitral” was created and Hernández kept it under his supervision until 2007. The involvement in “Vitral” caused him to be dismissed from a job on the second of May 1996. In result, he was sent to work in the field together with crew that picked yagüas leaves protecting cigars from drying.

On 2nd July 2006 he was moved by the same company - Empresa de Tabaco - as an engineer of control and quality to Pinar del Rio and then in October he was again chosen for the Chairman of Company Technical Council. Yet, it seemed to be another deliberate insidious action of regime - in February 2007 he was fired for receiving more profitable contract than the rest of laborers.

His social and educational activity flourished when he held the post of an editor-in-chief of “Vitrala” and director of Centre of Civil and Religious Formation(Centro de Formación Cívica y Religiosa, CFCR) in Pinar del Rio and President of Catholic Committee for Culture in Pinar del Rio which was under his supervision until 2006. Hernández was also a member of State Executive Secretariat of Catholic Press Union on Cuba and since 1998 a member of Pontifical Council “Justice and Peace” (Vatican). At Social Catholic Weeks on Cuba, which he organized since 1991, people of goodwill and laic Catholics have met to contemplate condition of society, country and man. At the same time Hernández worked as a correspondent of "La Voz Católica" and Italian "Sociedad". In 2004 Hernández was granted by The American Center of Polish Culture with Jan Karski’s Award al Valor y la Compasión. In the same year he published his third book titled "Cuba: libertad y responsabilidad. Desafios y Proyectos". Titles of his previous books are: "Somos trabajadores" i "Reconstruir la sociedad civil: un Proyecto para Cuba".

Dagoberto was also a founder of the movement „Ministros laicos de la Palabra”, which he led for 10 years (1977 – 1987).

Besides, he took part in 25th World Congress of International Catholic Movement for Intellectual and Cultural Affairs (MIIC – PAX Romana) in 1987during which he received his first audience at John Paul the Second. Four years later in Lima he participated in Latin American Congress MIIC as a Cuban representative.

Since 1991 Dagoberto has been an organizer and speaker often invited for Semanas Sociales Católicas de Cuba. In 1995 he took part in the first world meeting of the Responsible for Pontificio Consejo Justicia y Paz.

In 1998 he participated in preparations for visit of John Paul the Second on Cuba. In recognition of Hernández’s merits Pope gifted him the Bible and invited for a meeting at the University of Havana.

In his famous article titled “Something budged on Cuba” (Algo se mueve en Cuba), Dagaberto explains what the meaning of being a citizen in a democratic society is today in the following way:

Having political and civil maturity signifies in the first place awareness that in democracy every citizen is entitled to certain space of sovereignty. Sovereignty means ability to be a part of the nation which we form. Sovereignty means ability to participate in making decisions concerning improvement of life of the nation to which we all belong. Sovereignty means ability, which may be recognized or not, to transform reality in which we live by united drive towards the goal.
Devotedly and passionately Dagoberto explains to the Cuban reader what the nature of democracy is and how changes based on Social Doctrine of Catholic Church are necessary in society. With patience he clarifies the nature of problems on Cuba while emphasizing the importance of involving oneself into social work in order to initiate transformations. Hernández’s attitude reflects constructive criticism of contemporary model of western consumerist societies and moral reflection based on profound catholic belief. Looking at the individual in a global dimension and regarding the man as a valuable citizen who has right and obligation to fight for his and other’s freedom he underlines the gravity of individual personal development opposing at the same time apathy of the socialist society on Cuba and treating citizens as a mass.