José Ramón Machado Ventura (born 26 October 1930) is a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the First Vice President of the Council of State of Cuba from 2008 to 2013.

Later, under the command first of Ernesto "Che" Guevara and subsequently of Fidel Castro, he was one of the original revolutionaries who fought the guerrilla war in the Sierra Maestra.

In 1958, promoted to the rank of captain, he was sent to the province of Oriente under the command of Raúl Castro as part of the rebels' bid to open up a second front.

[3] In January 1968, reportedly in the aftermath of a personal conflict with Fidel Castro over the running of the health sector,[3] he was appointed to serve as the Politburo's delegate in the province of Matanzas.

He remained in Matanzas until mid-1971; his administration of the province's economy and health sector was successful, particularly in terms of crop outputs, public transport and reduced infant mortality.