CASAS Y ARAGORRI, Luis de las, governor-general of Cuba, born in Sopuerta, Spain. in 1745; died in 1800. He entered the army, and in 1769 came to Louisiana under the Spanish General O'Reilly, where he remained six years as commander of the garrison. In 1774 he returned to Spain, took part in several wars, and was appointed in 1790 gov-ernor-general of Cuba. During his administration the prosperity and welfare of the island had a great development. To him was due the creation of the first newspaper ever published in Cuba, the "Papel PeriSdico," the first number of which appeared 81 October, 1791. Casas himself was one of the most constant contributors. Under his administration were established the charity asylum, the patriotic society for intellectual, industrial, and agricultural development, the first public library in Cuba, and the first census was taken. He caused to be constructed many public roads and bridges, and founded public schools, contributing with his own purse toward their support. He was the first to recommend to the Madrid government the wise policy of opening the ports of the island of Cuba to foreign commerce. Casas returned to Spain in 1796 as poor as when he had first arrived at Havana, and died in absolute poverty.