Kay Hummel collection on Luís Valentín Gómez Lekube, «el Cojo» Gómez

Luís Valentín Gómez Lekube, «el Cojo» Gómez (Getxo, Bizkaia, 1902 - Juradó, Colombia, October 31, 1946) was a famous smuggler and spy active in the Panamá and Colombia area. When he was 12 years old, he migrated to Cuba and started a textile business that he also used as a cover to trade gold.

Cousin of Lehendakari Agirre, Gómez Lekube collaborated with the allies starting in 1940, first with the United States Information Service, and later with the Basque Information Service.

He was killed in Juradó, Colombia, in an obscure event involving the local population, business partners, and the Colombian police.

Kay Hummel is an Administrative & Event Expert based in Boise, Idaho. She earnt her bachelor’s degree in American Civilization at Brown University, and later obtained a master’s degree at Boise State University. She wrote an article titled “A Wanted Man: The Basque, El Cojo Gómez, in Colombia”, which appeared in Essays in Basque Social Anthropology and History, published by the University of Nevada, Reno.

Sources:

MOTA ZURDO, D., Allies of convenience: the Basque service of information and the Basque foreign pro-American action in Latin America, Revista Electrónica Iberoamericana, vol. 12, nº2, 2018.